



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



I 



VAGARIES AND VERITIES 



OR. 



Sunday Nights in SouI=Winnin§, 



-^ 



BY 

William B. R^iley, 

PzLstor of First Bapfist Church, 
Minneapolis. 

Auiuur or "The Seven Churches of Asia," "Fads and 
Fanaticisms," * 'The Gospel in Jonah," etc. 






-^ 



"This, I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call here- 
sy, so worship I the God of my fathers, helieving all things which are 
written in the law and in the prophets."— Acts, 24:14. 



Minneapolis : 

Hall, Black & Co., Printers. 

1903. 



V 



"iHt ' IBR4RY OF [ 
CONGKtSS. ; 



Copies ^f 



JUN 



I CLsSt^ ^ XXc. No. !| 



CopyrlgW, 19(>3 

by W. B. Rr!.E\ 
All. riglits reserved. 



Contents* 

Page 
I. Atheism: or, The Fool's Material Phi- 
losophy 9 

II. Anarchism: or, Defiance of Constituted 

Authority 21 

I. Agnosticism: or, The Knowing Man's 

Negations 35 

V. Liberalism: or, The Speculations of the 

Uninspired 46 

V. Mammonism: or. The Mad Race for 

Money 61 

VI. Formalism: or The Church's Friendly 

Foe 74 

VII. Supernaturalism: or. The Miracle An- 
cient and Modern 91 

VIII. Eddyism: or, Science and Health vs. 

the Scripture 108 

IX. Dowieism: or. Divine Healing and Do- 
ing Business 127 

X. Simpsonism: or The Four- Fold Gospel. . 144 

XL Keswickism: or, Sanctity the Secret of 

Success 159 

XII. Perfectionism: or. The Failure to Prac- 
tice One's Preaching 178 

XIII. Conservatism: or, Back to Our Bibles.. . 193 

XIV. Dogmatism: or, A Plea for Positive 

Preaching 209 



XTo /ID^ JSelo\?et) people, 

mboec mm^ to ©od^s ^rutb maftes tbc 
preacbfna ot tbe wbole (Bospcl an Increase 



Ing delfgbn 



preface 



This Volume is given to the Public, in printed 
form, for the identical reasons that obtained in the 
original preparation and delivery of the discourses. 

First, and of least importance, is the natural prefer- 
ence of having the Public know the Author's exact 
thoughts on these- controverted subjects, as dis- 
tinguished from misleading reports which have re- 
ceived wide circulation. 

Of far greater consequence is the opinion of com- 
petent auditors that these addresses will appeal, by 
simplicity of statement, to that great majority of men 
who, though unfamiliar with the language of the 
University, are yet the stable and saving element of 
Society. 

But over and above the foregoing, is the hope that 
this series may accomplish for its readers what it seems 
to have compassed for its auditors. The Author's 
church has yet to contribute one member to Christian 
Science Churches, or to the movements that represent 
allied vagaries, many of which are making alarming 
progress in Minneapolis ; while his best Bible students, 
who see clearly that God answers prayer for the sick, 
that the enduement of the Spirit is the secret of all 
soul-progress, and that the promised return of our 
Lord is "the blessed hope" of the Church, have not 



8 PREFACE. 

found it necessary to quit their denomination, and join 
some band of "come-outers" in order to enjoy *'the 
faith which was once delivered unto the saints." 

These discourses — ^when spoken — were blessed to 
the salvation of souls. Our prayer is, that the printed 
words may be equally blessed. 

W. B. RILEY. 

Minneapolis ; January, 1903. 



^1 



I. 

Htbetsm : or, Ube ffoors /iDatertal 
pMlosopbp^ 

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They 
are corrupt; they have done abominable works; there is none 
that doeth good." Psalms 14:1. 

THIS present, is a series of subjects to which 
God, in His Word, has given attention; and 
it may be argued, therefore, that they are worthy the 
interest of men. It is doubtful if, of them all, there is 
one of such transcendent importance as that voiced 
by the text of this evening: — "The fool hath said in 
his heart there is no God." 

No greater question has ever engaged the mind of 
man, or can, than this same question of the existence 
of God. It is the most important of all, because all 
depend upon it. If God is, then the universe is ac- 
counted for; if God is, then the origin of man is an 
open secret; if God is, then the mysteries of life may 
find solution. True, there are those who say "God 
is not;" and who would, if it were possible, dethrone 
Him and orphan the universe. But, as the great Dr. 
Gordon said : — "No power or might of man can sweep 
the stars from the sky, or blot the sun from the 
heavens, or efface the splendid landscape." "But," as 
he continued, "one wound in the eye can destroy the 
sight and make all those things as though they were 

9 



10 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

not. * * * There is such thing as the eclipse 
of faith, unbelief filming the soul, so that time and 
space become a great blank ; vacant, lifeless, meaning- 
less." Such is true of the man who hath put out his 
own eyes, preferring darkness ; and it is of such an one 
our text speaks, — ''The fool hath said in his heart 
there is no God." 

It is not my purpose this evening either to defend 
the character of Jehovah or argue His existence. 
There is no need, for both His existence and charac- 
ter are evident to those whose eyes are opened. But 
there is need that men and women, touched by the least 
scepticism, should see the great facts referred to in our 
text, and turn back from their doubts ere they are 
landed in the atheism which denies God and gropes 
in the blackness of darkness. There are three supreme 
suggestions in this text to which I want to call your 
attention, and upon which I want to lay emphasis. 

I. THE FOLLY OF ATHEISM. 

"The fool hath said in his heart there is no God." 
I have been interested in tracing this term "fool" to 
see what kind of people are described by the word. I 
find the dictionary giving at least three meanings to 
this word: 

First: A fool is one lacking in wisdom. That is 
the common use of the word. The man who attempts 
to do business in the marts of trade but has no sense 
of values, and no ability at bartering, wanting wis- 
dom in those things, is soon considered "a fool" by 
the smart fellows of that profession. The man who 
enters school and attempts studies to make egregious 
failure in them all, is likely to be spoken of as "fool- 



THE FOOUS MATERIAL PHILOSOPHY. 11 

ish." The man who dreams of great enterprises and 
builds air-castles and follows some jack-o'-lantern into 
a quagmire is reckoned "a fool." But the word is 
weakly employed in these instances as compared with 
the use to which the text puts it. 

Mr. Spurgeon tells of the folly of a drunkard, 
who, staggering into his room one night, found there 
a candle which had been lighted for him; but, in his 
drunkenness, he was seeing double and there seemed 
to be two candles and he said, "I will blow out one." 
He puffed away at it until it went out and lo he was in 
the dark. But the man whose folly leads him to deny 
God has removed out of his universe its only luminary 
and shrouded his soul with heavy night. Such a lack 
of wisdom is not excusable for no man need to be so 
deficient. It is written in the Word, "If any of you 
lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men 
liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." 
"The wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then 
peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated," and be- 
cause of this, the lack of wisdom is wickedness. 

A second meaning assigned to this word "fool" 
makes it refer to one who is weak-minded ; so that 
the text might be rendered, "The weak-minded hath 
said in his heart there is no God." 

There are not a few young men in the land who 
think infidelity is only another name for smartness ; 
that atheism is a synonym for intellectuality. They 
proudly imagine that the greater intellects of the world 
have been unbelievers ; and their every imagination is 
the product of mental weakness, or else of ignorance. 

Truly, as Henry Van Dyke, in his "sermons to 
Young Men" says, "Faith is power. Nothing truly 



12 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

great has ever been done in any department of the 
world's work without faith. Think of the faith of 
our explorers and discoverers — Columbus who found 
the new world; the Pilgrim fathers who planted it 
with life; Livingstone who opened a new continent 
to civilization. Think of the faith of our men of sci-,. 
ence — Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Farraday, Henry. 
Think of the faith of the reformers— Wyclif, Luther, 
Knox. Think of the faith of the martyrs — Polycarp, 
Huss, Savanrola, the Covenanters of Scotland, the 
Hugenots of France." One might call all the great 
names of the past and nine-tenths of them would be 
men who believed in God ; and in the presence of that 
galaxy of the great, atheism would be compelled to 
confess that its patrons had been men of inferior minds 
and of wretched morals. What writer has excelled 
Shakespeare? What poet surpassed Milton? What 
warrior Napoleon? What reformer Luther? What 
orator Robert Hall? What statesman Gladstone? 
And yet, every one of these assented, in the fullest 
measure, to the opening sentence of Scripture — *Tn 
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." 
Ah, young men, don't let Satan fill you with the con- 
ceit that atheism is intellectual ; but with shamed faces, 
on account of the folly of scepticism, hide yourself 
under the shadows of these great and renowned 
names, and unite your small voice with their thunder 
tones saying: "God is." 

Again, the term *'fool" refers to one ivhose moral 
nature is withered. Ainsworth calls attention to the 
meaning of the word "Nabar which is the Hebrew 
here employed, and says, "It has the signification of 
fading, dying, or falling away, as a withered leaf or 



THE FOOL'S MATERIAL PHILOSOPHY. 13 

flower. It is a title given to the foolish man as hav- 
ing lost the juice and sap of wisdom, reason, honesty 
and godliness." Trapp speaks of the atheist of our 
text as that "sapless fellow, that carcass of a man, 
that walking sepulchre of himself, in whom all re- 
ligion and right reason is withered and wasted, dried 
up and decayed." There can be little question that the 
man who denies God is sick in soul, and his very ill- 
ness of moral nature accounts in some measure for 
his atheism. 

Mr. Moody speaks of an Eastern shepherd who 
declared to a traveller that his sheep knew his voice, 
and that no stranger could deceive them. This trav- 
eller put on the shepherd's frock and turban and took 
his staff and went to the flock. He imitated, as best 
he could, the shepherd's voice in calling them, but 
they only ran away from him. Then he inquired of 
the shepherd, if, under no circumstances, they would 
follow a stranger, and the shepherd admitted that if 
a sheep was sick, it would go after any one that called 
to it. And I want to tell you, young men, that your 
disposition to follow the sceptic, to go after the athe- 
ist, is an evidence, in itself, that your soul is sick, even 
unto death, that your moral nature is withering up 
and falling into such decay that as God looks upon you 
He says, "The fool," for "The fool hath said in his 
heart there is no God." 

The next suggestion of the text is : 

II. THE FOUNTAIN OF ATHEISM. 

"The fool hath said in his heart." Ah, that is the 
fountain — the "heart." You remember that Christ 
Himself said, "Out of the heart of man proceed evil 



14 VAGARIES AND VERITIES, 

thoughts — adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, 
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an 
evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness : All these 
things come from within and defile the man." 

Atheism^ then, is not the conclusion of reason. 
The man who reaches the conclusion of this text — 
"There is no God" — never does it by logical processes. 
He must shut his eyes to the heaven above, and to the 
earth beneath, and, like a mole, see neither sun, moon, 
nor stars; for to look upon these is to be led into the 
Psalmist's utterance : ''The heavens declare the glory 
of God, the firmament showeth his handiwork." 

Nicholson relates, that the celebrated astronomer 
Kircher, having an acquaintance who denied the ex- 
istence of God, took the following method to con- 
vince him of his error : He procured a very hand- 
some globe, or representation of the starry heavens, 
which he placed in a corner of the room to attract his 
friend's observation, who, when he came, asked, 
whence it came, and to whom it belonged. 'Not to 
me,' said Kircher, 'nor was it ever made by any per- 
son, but came here by mere chance.' 'That,' replied 
his sceptical friend, 'is absolutely impossible; you 
surely jest.' Kircher, however, seriously persisting in 
his essertion, took occasion to reason with his friend 
on his own atheistical principles. 'You will not be- 
lieve,' said he, 'that this small body originated in mere 
chance, and yet you would contend that those heaven- 
ly bodies, of which it is but a faint resemblance, came 
into existence without order or design.' Pursuing this 
train of reasoning, his friend was at first confounded, 
next convinced, and cordially confessed the absurdity 
of denying the existence of a God. 



THE FOOVS MATERIAL PHILOSOPHY. 15 

"There is no God, the fool in secret said; 

There is no God that rules o'er earth or sky. 
Tear off the band that binds the wretch's head, 

That God may burst upon his faithless eye ! 

Is there no God? — The stars in myriads spread, 

If he look up, the blasphemy deny ; 
While his own features, in the mirror read. 

Reflect the image of Divinity. 

Is there no God? — The stream that silver flows. 
The air he breathes, the ground he treads, the trees. 

The flowers, the grass, the sands, each wind that blows. 
All speak of God ; throus:hout, one voice agrees. 

And, eloquent, his dread existence shows ; 
"Blind to thyself, ah ! see him, fool, in these !" 

Revelation is in nowise responsible for atheism. 
There are unbelievers who would like to impress the 
public that they have reached the conclusion of our 
text by the study of the book called the Bible. You 
rarely meet a sceptic but he makes a great show of his 
knowledge of the Scriptures. He would have you 
think that our text ought to be changed so as to read : 
"The wise man, by a study of the Bible, is led to athe- 
ism." But the world must wait for the ages to come 
to bring forth an atheist who is a good Bible student. 
Sceptics of the past have been most wretched Bible 
scholars. They have rather proceeded on the ground 
that because they were sceptics they should not be ex- 
pected to study the Scriptures ; because they were 
atheists they should not be expected to give careful 
consideration to Christianity, as if an unlearned child 
should say, 'T am ignorant, therefore I should not be 
expected to go to school. I do not believe in arithme- 
tic, geometry, calculus, therefore, I have a right to 
decry their conclusions without investigation of their 
claims." Tne biographer of Thomas Paine excused 
Paine's blunders in his criticisms on the Bible by say- 



16 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

ing, "At the time he wrote the first part of "The Age 
of Reason" he was without a Bible, and could not 
procure one." Then, don't you think he had better 
been silent? And I say to you, young men, every 
criticism of the Word of God comes with poor grace 
from him who seldom, or never studies that same 
word. If you mean to be sceptical, go about it intelli- 
gently; get down your Bible, rub the dust from the 
covers and read five chapters a day for the next year, 
and see what will be the result. 

When Gilbert West wanted to show the impossibil- 
ity of the resurrection of Christ, he set himself to a 
study of the Divine record, and when Lord Littleton 
wanted to demonstrate the unlikelihood of Paul's con- 
version, he turned to the Bible for a more perfect 
knowledge of the report of that event ; and when Lew 
Wallace wanted to write a book in proof of the hu- 
manity of Jesus, he searched the Scriptures, and the 
result for each of these men was the same. Gilbert 
West came out of his investigations a converted man, 
believing that God had raised His Son from the dead ; 
Lord Littleton finished his studies accepting not only 
the conversion but the inspiration of Saint Paul ; while 
Lew Wallace found in the sacred record convincing 
proof that Christ was not alone human but unquestion- 
ably divine. 

Atheism is the preference of a perverted heart. 
"The fool hath said in his heart there is no God." Long 
ago Jeremiah wrote : — "The heart is deceitful above all 
things, and desperately wickea." 

The great reason many men do not believe is be- 
cause they don't want to believe. When Galileo in- 
vented the telescope he invited one of his opponents 



THE FOOL'S MATERIAL PHILOSOPHY. 17 

to look through the insticument at Jupiter's moons. 
"No, no," said the man, "if I should see them, how- 
then could I maintain my opinions against your 
philosophy." The evil heart wants to cry down the 
voice of conscience. Sinful affections and lusts of that 
unregenerate organ would gladly be rid of that God 
who is the great moral Governor, the Patron of recti- 
tude, and the Punisher of iniquity. John Foster 
tells of three young men who, having committed 
a grave crime, heard the family with whom they 
were lodging, engaged in evening prayers ; and 
immediately they fell to discussing whether there was 
a God or a hereafter, and the three agreed in denying 
both — a conclusion which they afterward acknowl- 
edged themselves to have reached solely on the ground 
that they wished it were so. 

Ah, beloved, let us not forget that neither Reason 
nor Revelation leads to atheism, but that a perverted 
heart will affirm as a fact that which it well knows to 
be false, because it prefers to have it so. Every such 
affirmation emphasizes the truth of our text — "The fool 
hath said in his heart there is no God." 

The last suggestion of the text to which I call your 
attention is this : 

III. THE FRUITS OF ATHEISM. 

"They are all corrupt. They have done abomin- 
able works. There is none that doeth good." 

Corruption is the first consequence of atheism. 
"As he thinketh in his heart so is he." Krummacher 
says : — "Unbelief is the occasion of all sin and the very 
bond of iniquity. It does nothing but darken and de- 
stroy. It makes the world a moral desert where no 



18 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

divine footsteps are heard, where no angels ascend and 
descend, where no living hand adorns the fields, feeds 
the fowls of heaven, or regulates events. Thus it 
makes nature — the garden of God — a mere automaton ; 
and the history of Providence a fortuitous succession 
of events; a man, a creature of accidents, and prayer 
a useless ceremony. It annihilates even the vestiges 
of heaven that still remain upon the earth, and stops 
the way to every higher region." 

Abominable works are also fruits of atheism. The 
man who denies the existence of God is a dangerous 
member of society. To him there can be no such a 
thing as right and wrong, seeing that there is no great 
judge to determine between them. Our criminals, as 
a class, are atheistic. Voltaire perfectly understood 
the outworking of his philosophy. One day when 
D'Alembert and Condorcet were dining with him, they 
proposed to converse of atheism ; but Voltaire stopped 
them at once saying: — "Wait, till my servants have 
withdrawn; I do not wish to have my throat cut to- 
night." Altamont said of his atheism, "My prin- 
ciples have poisoned my friend. My extravagance has 
beggared my boy; my unkindness has murdered my 
wife; and is there another Hell? Oh, thou blas- 
phemed, yet most indulgent Lord God, Hell is a refuge, 
if it hides me from thy frown." 

But, as Paul said to the Corinthians, so I want to 
say to the unbeHever here present tonight, "I can show 
unto you a more excellent way" out of infidelity, out 
of atheism, back to God the Father, back to the en- 
folding arms, back to the blessed bosom of Him whose 
name is 'Love.' That is the way of Christ who died 
that unbelievers, infidels, and atheists might be re- 



THE FOOUS MATERIAL PHILOSOPHY. 19 

deemed ; and who, out of His great grace hath said, 
"Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out." 

Ah, Christ is the cufe for Atheism. To the men 
who have wanted in wisdom, to those who have poorly 
employed the wisdom given, to those whose moral 
natures are withered and in decay, God sends his 
Gospel of Salvation, and out of the rubbish of wretched 
philosophies, and out of the dirt heaps of doubts, and 
out of dust of scepticism. He will save, if only we 
are willing. 

A writer tells the story of that portrait of 
Dante which was painted upon the walls of the 
Bargello at Florence. For many years it was supposed 
that the picture had utterly perished. Men had heard 
of it, but no one living had ever seen it. But at last 
an artist came whose purpose to find it was fixed. He 
went into the place where tradition said it had been 
painted. The room was used as a storehouse for lum- 
ber and straw ; the walls were covered with dirty white- 
wash ; he had heaps of rubbish carried away. Patient- 
ly and carefully he removed the white-wash from the 
wall. Lines and colors, long hidden, began to appear 
and at last the lofty, noble face of the great poet looked 
out again upon the world of light. 

But, younsf men and women, I come to tell you of 
a possibility more wonderful, and of a discovery more 
beautiful. The image of God, which was once yours, 
and which you have effaced from the heart by lumber- 
ing it up with sin and scepticism, by covering it over 
with filthy white-wash of hypocrisy, that divine like- 
ness, the Holy Ghost is ready to restore tonight, if only 
you will let Him. He is present now pleading for that 
privilege. He wants to remove the sins ; He wants to 



20 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

take away the scepticism; He wants to remove the 
white- wash of hypocrisy; He wants to make clean 
that inner temple made by the most high God, and 
meant for the indwelling of His Son ; He wants to re- 
store the divine image long lost, and if you will let 
Him, He will restore it tonight, and form in you 
"Christ Jesus, the hope of Glory; whom we preach, 
warning every man and teaching every man, in all 
wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in 
Christ Jesus." 



II. 

Hnarcbism: or, Defiance of Constitute^ 
Hutbortt^* 

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For 
there is no power but of God ; the powers that be are ordained 
of God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth 
the ordinances of God; and they that resist shall receive to 
themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good 
works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the 
power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise 
of the same." Romans 13:1-3. 

WE continue to-night this series of fourteen 
sermons on as many topics. • In looking 
over the list of them you will be impressed with the 
fact that as Isms they are patent and popular. Anarch- 
ism has commanded more attention since the assassina- 
tion of our President than almost any other subject 
to which press or pulpit have spoken. Atheism is old, 
but not out of date; Agnosticism is new, in name at 
least, and flourishes as a passing fad ; while Liberalism 
is entrenched in a few pulpits and enjoys the services 
of some eloquent men. Formalism has ingratiated it- 
self into favor with uppish churches ; and Eddyism is 
making proselites from liberal and evangelical denomi- 
nations, and a few converts in the world. Doweism 
distresses, alike the editors of the press, the preachers 
of not a few pulpits, and demands the constant atten- 
tion of the Chicago Police force. Unquestionably the 

21 



22 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

most popular of all modern isms, is Mammonism ; the 
roll of her followers in America far out-ranks that of 
the Roman Catholic Church. Perfectionism has never 
been particularly popular as a theory, and still less in 
evidence as a practice. Keswickism, or loyalty to 
the Word of God, is a movement which deserves all 
the praises that have been passed upon it, and the 
patronage of the people who have named the name 
of Jesus Christ. I make this remark after having read 
the strictures of Prof. E. H. Johnson of Crosier Theo- 
logical Seminary, to whose phillipics I will pay proper 
attention when we shall have reached the discussion 
of that subject. 

Tonight our subject is "Anarchism — or defiance of 
Constituted Authority." The subject is at once a sug- 
gestion and a definition. Dr. Lorimer, in his volume 
entitled "Christianity in the Social State" speaking of 
the theory, that the way to reform society is "to abro- 
gate it," says, sarcastically, "That is a remedy as effi- 
cacious as the decapitation of a monarch to cure him 
of tyranny." And it would seem that this movement 
in the Old World, and in America, means the utter 
annihilation of government, as the goal toward which 
its devotees are to work. 

Now you will find that the Word of God has spoken 
to this very theme. One of the evidences of the In- 
spiration of the Scriptures exists in the circumstance 
that no matter into what century you come, its utter- 
ances are at once applicable and adequate. "Let every 
soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there 
is no power but of God: the powers that be are or- 
dained of God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the 
power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that 



DEFIANCE OF CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY. 23 

resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For 
rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. 
Wilt thou then, not be afraid of the povv^er? Do that 
which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same." 
Three things in this text to which I call your at- 
tention. 

I. AUTHORITY IS DIVINELY CONSTITUTED. 

If one reads the Bible he will find, that God has 
ordained certain powers, and by unmistakable speech 
commands respect for them. You will find this true 
in the hom.e, in organized society ; and in the church 
of God. 

In the home. As far back as Genesis, Jacob is 
commended for having obeyed his father and his 
mother. Gen. 28:7. In Exodus, and among the Ten 
Commandments, you read this one, "Honor thy father 
and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the 
land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Ex. 20:12. 

Millenniums passed, and Paul, under inspiration, 
wrote again, "Children obey your parents in the Lord, 
for this is right." Perhaps the first out-croppings of 
anarchy exists when parental authority is disowned 
and defied. If we are going to have a reform in this 
country that will render improbable the repetition of 
such assassinations as that which sent Mr. McKinley 
to his grave, we will have to begin with the young 
American and teach him to respect his father and his 
mother. 

There are two ways of doing that, both of which 
are necessary — the one the way of precept, the other 
the way of practice. There are some parents that fail 
in the first and let their children grow up without any 



24 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

convictions on the subject of respect for them; and 
there are others who fail on the side of practice, and 
behave themselves so badly as to provoke their chil- 
dren to wrath, thereby destroying that filial reverence 
which children of the sweet, patient, yet firm fathers 
and mothers, generously show. I recall that Canon 
Wescott sagely says, "The popular estimate of the 
family is an infallible criterion of the state of society. 
Heroes cannot save a country where the idea of the 
family is degraded, and strong battalions are of no avail 
against homes guarded by faith and reverence and 
love." And to illustrate, he reminds us, that Greece, 
notwithstanding her splendid Hterature, and the un- 
rivaled triumph of her art, lasted barely three genera- 
tions, because there the family fell from its proper 
place ; while a constitution and laws, reared on a lofty 
estimate of the family, gave Rome the sovereignty 
of the world. Somehow it is more difficult for the 
boy or girl, brought up in a house where father and 
mother both command and elicit respect, to prove to be 
a rebel against righteous laws, and beneficent institu- 
tions. And there is need that we sound afresh the 
sentence of Scripture, "Children obey your parents in 
the Lord." For there is a divinely constituted author- 
ity in the home. 

In organised society. If you look at the heading 
of this chapter in the ordinary Bible, you will find its 
subject to be "Subjection to Magistrates." In other 
words it teaches subjection to civil powers. And in 
that, this text stands not alone. When writing to 
Timothy, Paul says, "Put them (that is, the people) 
in mind to be subject to Principalities and powers; to 
obey magistrates." Here, again, the New Testament 



DEFIANCE OF CONSTITUTED A UTHORITY. 25 

is in accordance with the Old, and the great majority 
of men have looked upon legislation as a friend, and 
the officers of the law, as protectors of the public peace. 

As a rule it is the sinner who hates the ten com- 
mandments ; and so also, it is the criminal who despises 
the expressions of the Statute Book. I agree again 
with Westcott "That the nation no less than the family 
is organized and controlled by an inherent authority." 
Our text is a sufficient warrant of his words, "Through 
whatever instrument the authority may be admin- 
istered, it is not of man, but of God." People often 
get awry in their thinking upon this matter. They see 
bad men in office and say, 'Ts this of God?" failing 
to distinguish between the ^ dignity of the office, and 
the indignity of its incumbent. Nero was a tyrant, 
and yet St. Paul facing death at his hands, never railed 
against the emperor's office. Pilate was selfish and 
cowardly, yet Christ, himself, acknowledged the rights 
of his office, and reminded him that his power was 
exercised only by permission from God. The man, 
therefore, who wages a warfare against the organiza- 
tion of society, parts company not alone with the 
Apostles, but with Christ Himself. And the man 
whose daily behavior is a disregard of righteous laws, 
is an anarchist in conduct, no matter with what cloth 
you may clothe him. 

Booker Washington characterizes lynching as 
anarchy, and perhaps he is right. But if putting crim- 
inals to death, without due processes of law, by an out- 
raged public, is anarchy, what shall we call the con- 
duct of those, who outrage the public, and to the dis- 
regard of righteous laws, add rapine, arson, murder, 
etc. ? There are people in this country who believe 



26 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

in licensing saloons, and yet, every intelligent man 
knows that this institution disregards every law, spurns, 
with contempt every statute — state or federal— and 
when a Moffett, a Gambrel, a Rucker, or a Haddock 
asks it to remember its legal limitations, then its min- 
ions arise and murder in cold blood, and not a man of 
them has to pay the penalty of his crimes. I am 
among those who believe that anarchy is far more 
wide-spread in this country than is commonly sup- 
posed; and that its cruelest and most devilish advo- 
cates have ingratiated themselves into public favor so 
far that they can despise legislation; despoil virtue; 
degrade manhood ; spill the blood of martyrs at will ; 
and in the noise of party strife and the smoke of party 
battle escape untouched. And yet, be it remembered 
that the very society against which they form their 
designs; the very laws which they trample under 
swineish feet; the very men whose courageous blood 
they find it convenient to spill, are God-appointed 
every one. And I think I should go further and say, 
that those corporations that buy up legislatures, or, 
failing in that, set their acts aside, and by the manipula- 
tion of money power, wrong women, oppress men, and 
deform children, are anarchistic in their tendencies 
in just so far as they deny Divine authority and the 
equality of human rights. For when this text was 
written it was penned alike for the rich and the poor ; 
for the potentate and the peasant, "Let every soul be 
subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power 
but of God. Whosoever therefore, resisteth the power, 
resisteth the ordinance of God." 

In the church of God. Truly has it been said, 
"Man is not born only for the family ; for the nation ; 



DEFIANCE OF CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY. 27 

but also for God." You will find that in these Epistles 
Paul deals as clearly with the subject of obedience to 
Divine authority in the church, as he does with the 
same subject in the home, and in the state. Writing 
to Timothy he says, "Let the elders that rule well be 
counted worthy of double honor, especially they who 
labor in the Word and doctrine." I Tim. 5:17. 
"Against an elder receive not an accusation, but be- 
fore two or three witnesses." In his Epistle to the 
Hebrews he contributes almost the entire thirteenth 
chapter to this subject, saying to that people, "Re- 
member them which have the rule over you, who have 
spoken unto you the Word of God." (7) "Obey 
them that have the rule over you, and submit your- 
selves, for they watch for your souls as they that must 
give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with 
grief." (17.) And again, in verse 24, "Salute 
all them that have the rule over you." There are peo- 
ple today, who will cry "Treason!" into your face, if 
you dare take issue with a high official whose position 
represents power. And yet, who feel it no sin at all to 
deny that there is an authority in the church anywhere ; 
any right on the part of anybody to rule ; any privilege, 
even, of advice ; any power that may call their conduct, 
however bad, into question. If it is a sin to refuse 
respect to the divinely appointed authority of parents ; 
if it is a crime to disregard the will of Potentates : — 
the requirements of law ; if it is anarchy to lift a hand 
against these, what term have we adequate to the con- 
duct of the man who denies the authority vested in that 
officer of the church, who holds his appointment at 
once by the will of the people and the sanction of the 
Holy Spirit; the man who subscribes to a covenant, 



28 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

and, then, disregarding his own action, sets aside its 
every sentence and who, in the last analysis, makes 
his own will, versus the Word of God, the basis of con- 
duct? I tell you that all anarchy is not in the State, 
but wherever, in the home, in society, in the church of 
God, divinely constituted authority is defied, there an- 
archy exists. 

And this leads me to the second suggestion of our 
text. 

II. THE RESISTANCE OF SUCH AUTHORITY RESULTS 
IN JUDGMENT. 

The Revised Version here is slightly different from 
the King James, and perhaps an improvement. 
"Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth 
the ordinance of God, and they that withstand shall 
receive to themselves judgment." 

Public opinion will pass sentence. Perhaps no act 
of modern times excited such public indignation as the 
assassination of President McKinley. Feeling ran 
high not alone because a popular man, a man greatly 
loved by the majority of the people, v/as the victim; 
but because the stroke was against him as the nation's 
representative. It was not an execution of vengeance 
against the person, but a deliberate purpose to empty 
an honored office. And I can not help thinking that 
the public sentiment shown in this matter will prove 
itself a power in preventing similar occurrences. As 
Josiah Strong said, "When the popular conscience is 
properly educated, public opinion, like the sun, is found 
to have its rays of heat as well as of light. And when 
they are focalized by pulpit or press on some iniquity, 
and steadily held there as by a mighty burning glass. 



DEFIANCE OF CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY. 29 

that evil, no matter how deeply intrenched in human 
ignorance and prejudice and selfishness it may be, will 
at length scorch and writhe and smoke and blaze and 
consume away." 

Righteous law will execute judgment. True, there 
are many men who escape its penalty, and their very 
multitude often accounts for our mob violence. But 
that is not the fault of the law; it's the fault of the 
judges of the law, and those who are set to execute 
the law. You will find that men whose hearts are fully 
set to do evil, hate the law itself, because they know it 
would, unless prevented, bring them to judgment. 
When, a few years since, the anarchist Fielden was 
on trial in Chicago, for the Haymarket matter, wit- 
nesses testified that they had heard him say, "Kill the 
law ; stab the law ; throttle the law." While I was in 
Chicago, it fell to my lot as an officer of the Sabbath 
Observance League, to participate in the trial of some 
saloon men who had violated the Sunday laws by 
opening saloons on that day. They employed an at- 
torney who was evidently a patron of their places, and 
like one of whom Judge Dickinson was telling me a 
few evenings since: — somewhat bloated and inflamed. 
The Judge was telling of a citizen lawyer who took a 
cigarette from his pocket and thinking to perpetrate a 
joke upon a red-headed attorney, sitting near, he stuck 
the cigarette against his hair as if in the act of light- 
ing it; whereupon the temperate, yet florid, attorney 
said, "Oh, touch it to your nose." It was this kind of 
an attorney who defended these saloon men, and in his 
appeal to the jury he said, "Gentlemen of the Jury, 
we admit that the statutes of the state of Illinois 
have been broken by the conduct of our clients. 



30 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

but what right has the state of Ilhnois to impose any 
such limitations upon the employment of industrious 
men? These Sunday laws are an abridgement of per- 
sonal privileges, and you know, gentlemen of the jury, 
that the people have come to their rights by rising 
against the tyranny of law." That was the eloquent 
endeavor of wicked men to set aside the law of the 
land, and thereby avert its penalty. Paul found him- 
self condemned by the law. He says *T had not 
known sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust 
except the law had said, 'Thou shalt not covet.' I was 
alive without the law once, but when the command- 
ment came, sin revived and I died." But Paul does 
not condemn the law on that account; he condemns 
himself; he says it was not "its blame but mine," "the 
law was holy, and the commandment holy, and just 
and good." The law was spiritual but Paul was car- 
nal, and hence their conflict. You can always tell what 
kind of a man one is when you find out his attitude 
toward properly constituted authority; if bad, he will 
justify himself, and condemn it ; if a better man, he will 
condemn himself and justify the law, admitting that 
though righteous law executes judgment, its judgment 
is just. 

But the end is not yet:— God will utter His re- 
proofs. When Cain rebelled against his home, he 
came under God's condemnation. When Absolom 
raised a conspiracy against the king, he felt the Di- 
vine displeasure in the hour of his wretched death ; 
when Demas apostatized from the Christ his soul was 
left to perish. 

A man may be able to face public opinion ; many a 
man has been able to escape the penalty of righteous 



DEFIANCE OF CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY. 31 

law; but who will face an injured Gk>d, and where 
shall one flee to escape His reproof? A man by the 
name of Eustick went with a pack of hounds into one 
of Charles Wesley's revival meetings and broke it up. 
The next morning he passed from a state of raving 
madness into the presence of the Judge of all the 
earth, going as if summoned to give an account of his 
conduct. Arthur T. Pierson tells of thirty men who 
conspired together to defeat certain measures that 
were producing in a church an increasing spiritual 
life. In an incredibly short space of time, every one 
of them was under some form of Divine judgment. 
And he is also authority for the report that in 1889, a 
company of twelve young men, meeting at a hotel 
table for a carousal, and having their atteation called 
to the fact that their number was Apostolic, actually 
celebrated the Lord's Supper in mockery. Before mid- 
night the leader was dead, and every other member 
of the company hung in mortal agony on the verge 
of the grave. 

Men, I want to remind you tonight, that rebellion 
against God cannot pass unreproved.. The Psalm- 
ist statement is still true, "Thou art acquainted with 
all my ways. There is not a word in all my tongue but 
lo, oh Lord, thou knowest it altogether." And the 
Psalmist question is still pertinent. "Whither shall I 
go from thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy 
presence ; if I ascend up into heaven thou art there ; if 
I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there ; if I 
take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utter- 
most parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead 
me, and Thy right hand shall hold me." Ps. 139:4-10. 



32 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

"So then, every one of us shall give an account of 
himself to God." 

A few minutes now for my last lesson. 

III. RECOGNITION OF RIGHTFUL AUTHORITY 
HAS ITS REWARD. 

"Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise 
of the same." 

In the home. You know what child in the house 
is most appreciated. It is the child who obeys father 
and mother ; respects brother and sister ; carries the 
burdens best; and excites controversy least. 

James Whitcomb Riley attempted a while ago to 
describe a home. 

"Let but a little hut be mine, 

Where at the hearthstone I may hear 

The cricket sing; 
And have the shine 

Of one glad woman's eyes to make, 

For my poor sake, 
Our simple home, a place divine." 

But that is no home! It's a three-roomed flat, 
with two people in it, happy, each in the affection of 
the other. The home is a larger institution ; and in- 
cludes the cheery faces of obedient and beautiful chil- 
dren. Oh, how much you can do to build it up ! And 
your work will have its reward in love. 

In society. It is not the man who fights against 
the social order who finds his friends there. But it is 
the man who loves it, and if he criticizes, it is to correct 
wrong ; who labors for its improvement ; who keeps its 
laws, and is forever stretching out a hand to help others 
to be obedient to the same. 



DEFIANCE OF CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY. 33 

In the church of God. That is a wonderful figure 
that Paul presents in the twelfth chapter of ist Corin- 
thians, showing that members of a church, ought to 
sustain the same relation to one another that exists be- 
tween members of the same body, — the eye needful to 
the ear ; the hand needful to the foot ; and we ought to 
remember that when one member suffers all the mem- 
bers suffer with it; or one member be honored, all 
the members rejoice with it. It is written, ''Bear ye 
one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." 
I have yet to meet a man in the Church of God, who 
bore his brethren's burdens bravely and with self- 
sacrificing spirit that God let go without reward. 

It is good to hear words of appreciation from one's 
fellows, but there is something better in store for every 
man in whom is the spirit of Christian brotherhood. 
One day he will hear Christ, Himself, say, as the door 
of heaven itself, sv/ings ajar, "Come, ye blessed of 
my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from 
the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, 
and yet gave me meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me 
drink ; I was a stranger and ye took me in ; naked and 
ye clothed me ; I was sick, and ye visited me ; I was 
in prison, and ye came unto me. . . Verily I say 
unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of 
the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto 
me." ■ 

In hearken. Ah, the greatest rewards to obedience 
do not belong to time. Peter speaks of "the crown of 
rejoicing" which the Lord, the righteous Judge is to 
give him at the last day. And in Revelation this crown 
is called "The Crown of Life." 

Ah, that is God's reward. Life! Life abundant, 



34 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

Life everlasting ! I find people sometimes wondering 
why those of us who minister in the Gospel demand 
of them that they surrender their wills affirming that 
otherwise they cannot be saved. But don't you see 
there could be no heaven, except its angels and saints 
were gladly obedient to every wish of God. That 
will make the harmony of heaven; that will make up 
the holiness of heaven ; that will continue the happiness 
of heaven; that, and that alone, renders possible the 
love of heaven; and oh, if you are going to have 
heaven as your portion, to know its harmonies, to ex- 
perience its holiness, to enter into the fullness of its 
happiness, and into the joys of its everlasting love 
you need now and here to surrender to God ; to cease 
from your rebellion; and surrender, saying to the 
Father, as Jesus Himself said, "Not my will, but 
Thine be done." 



III. 

Hanosttcism: or, Ube IRnowino /IDan's 
Be^ations* 

"If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine 
whether it be of God." John 7:17. 

WE are to consider this evening "Agnosticism : 
or, The Knowing Man's Negations." You 
remember that a week ago I called attention to the fact 
that this Ism has no antiquity of which to boast, hav- 
ing only recently found birth and received its name; 
and yet, it is not without its admirers. It has elo- 
quent defenders, and already it has at least a trinity of 
patron saints in Huxley, Darwin and Frederick Har- 
rison. No two of these agree in their definition of 
what agnosticism means, but each defined it as his 
faith, or, rather, his want of faith — his philosophy. I 
know of no more charitable and fair definition of ag- 
nosticism than that found in an address by Dr. Geo. C. 
Lorimer: "Agnostics admit that there may be a 
Deity; a spiritual world and an after life, but at the 
same time they assure us that we have no means of 
knowing that these are, and that we can never remedy 
this ignorance. We can guess, wish, dream, imagine, 
but all our speculations are only like the transitory 
mirage, unverifiable, and most likely false." Col. In- 
gersoll, with his accustomed cynicism, smartly defined 

35 



36 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

his philosophy of rehgion : ' "Now understand me. I 
do not say there is no God. I do not know ; as I told 
you before, I have traveled very little and that only in 
this world." But, of course, the Colonel has explored 
some new regions since he made this declaration, and 
may now be better informed. 

But I turn from this definition of the term to call 
attention to 

THE ORIGIN OF AGNOSTICISM. 

Only a few years ago it was born from the brain 
of Thomas A. Huxley. The professor himself relates 
the story in these words. 'When I reached intellectual 
maturity, and began to ask myself whether I was an 
atheist, a theist, or a pantheist; a materialist, or an 
idealist ; a Christian, or a free-thinker — I found that 
the more I learned and reflected, the less ready was the 
answer; until at last, I came to the conclusion that I 
had neither art nor part with any of these denomina- 
tions except the last. This was my situation when I 
had the good fortune to find a place among the mem- 
bers of that remarkable confraternity of antagonists, 
long since deceased — The Methaphysical Society.' 
Every variety of philosophical and theological opinion 
was represented there, and expressed itself with entire 
openness ; most of my colleagues were 'ists' of one 
sort or another, and however friendly they might be, 
I, the man without a rag of a label to cover himself 
with, could not fail to have some of the uneasy feel- 
ings which must have beset the historical fox, when 
after leaving the trap in which his tail remained, he 
presented himself to his normally elongated compan- 
ions. So I took thought, and invented what I con- 



THE KNOWING MAN'S NEGATIONS. 37 

ceived to be the appropriate title of 'Agnostic,' and I 
took the earliest opportunity of parading it at our socie- 
ty, to show that I too had a tail like the other foxes. 
To my ^reat satisfaction the term took, and when the 
'Spectator' had stood god-father to it, any suspicion 
in the minds of respectable people that a knowledge of 
its parentage might have awakened, was, of course, 
completely lulled." 

Such is Huxley's history of the rise of the terms 
"agnostic" and "agnosticism." I have related it in 
full to show that it hardly seems possible that a philoso- 
phy of life, of the universe, of God, of man's future 
estate, born of such flippancy, bred in an atmosphere of 
such scepticism, and propagated by such indifference, 
could ever have supplanted the faith of the instructed, 
or supplied the demands of the thoughtful. And yet 
it can hardly be denied that some men of scientific 
minds have rejected the spotless life of Jesus, derided 
His unselfish spirit, denied His sacrificial death, His 
glorious and authenticated resurrection, to accept this 
flippantly conceived philosophy; while the ignorant 
and indifferent in great numbers have hailed it as a 
loop-hole through which to escape from trying to un- 
derstand the mystery of the life that now is ; the prob- 
lems of the life to come, and the consequent obligations 
to God. 

Let this suffice as to the origin of the term, and as 
to the adherence given to the philosophy expressed, and 
let us consider the 

OBJECTIONS TO AGNOSTICISM. 

Certainly they are numerous, and I think we may 
say, sufficiently strong to insure against its ever be- 



38 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

coming the faith of any great part of the thinking pub- 
lic. 

Its consummate egotism is open to criticism. 
Shakespeare says: 

''When devils will their blackest sins put on, 
They do at first suggest with heavenly shows." 

Agnostics illustrate the great poet's sentence. 

"I don't know." — A speech of humblest sound; in 
fact the admission is so numiliating that most men 
find it hard to make. But agnostics take to it as monks 
do to asceticism. The very ease with which they say 
'I don't know' excites suspicion as to whether the ap- 
parent humility is genuine. A little argument, how- 
ever, with an agnostic clears the atmosphere, and 
brings out just what he does think, for his next sen- 
tence is always, and invariably, this — "nobody knows." 
Aye, from a confession of utter ignorance to a declara- 
tion of infinite wisdom he goes with a single bound, and 
yet he never seems to see any inconsistency in the con- 
fessed ignorance on the one side, and the claim of all 
knowledge on the other side. 

There are a lot of things in this world that I don't 
know, and among them is this : I don't know just what 
other people may or may not know, seeing, as Mr. In- 
e'ersoll says, "I have traveled but little" and haven't 
made the acquaintance of all earth's wise men. The 
man who affirms of the great question of life "Nobody 
knows" makes himself God, and lays claim to wisdom 
that is infinite. To know what all the people in the 
world know, and all they don't know, is to assume 
equality with the Father and with His Son Jesus 
Christ ; and that assumption is hardly compatible with 
the phrase "I don't know." 



THE KNOWING MANS NEGATIONS. 39 

It is related that a young Frenchman was parading 
his agnosticism before a thoughtful old man who said, 
"What is agnosticism?" "Why sir," answered the 
young philosopher ( ?), "an agnostic is a man who is 
not certain of anything," "Ah, I see," said the old 
man, "And pray tell me how you know you are an 
agnostic ?" 

Agnosticism is always open to the charge of ignor- 
ance. I do not say its devotees are always unlearned 
men. Some of them have been capable as were Hux- 
ley, Darwin and Harrison ; but their researches in 
science were even exceeded by their indifference to 
Scripture study. It is a common blunder with skeptics 
to suppose that information on one line of study rend- 
ers one a critic in all branches of learning. Hence, be- 
cause Mr. Huxley and Mr. Darwin have handled the 
lens, the microscope, and made themselves masters in 
certain branches of science, they count themselves com- 
petent to pass upon the Scriptures, and upon things of 
the Spirit, though they be utterly ignorant of both. In 
this conduct they are not without their predecessors. 

You remember the well authenticated incident of 
Benjamin Franklin's controversy with the French scof- 
fers who ridiculed the Scriptures as out of date. 
Franklin decided to find out whether they were fami- 
liar with the Book they rejected. Accordingly he in- 
formed the learned Parisian club, of which he was a 
member, that he had come across a story in pastoral 
life which evidently dated back hundreds of years, and 
impressed him as being beautiful, but he would like the 
judgment of the Society upon it. They appointed an 
hour for his reading, and Franklin in a finely modulat- 
ed voice, gave them the Book of Ruth. They were in 



40 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

ecstasies over it. One after another got up and ex- 
pressed his admiration of the work, and hoped that 
the manuscript might be printed. When this sort of 
thing had gone the round of the circle, Franklin stood 
forth and avenged himself by putting their ignorance 
on exhibit; and so he said, 'Triends, this pastoral 
story is in print already. If you find time to read a 
certain book called the Bible, you will discover it 
there." 

The reason why some men can say honestly, "I 
don't know" touching the subject of religion, is be- 
cause they have so persistently neglected its great text 
book — the Holy Scriptures ; and their ignorance is the 
occasion of their agnosticism. 

The philosophy is as unreasonable as ignorant. 
Henry Van Dyke has well said : "A religion all mys- 
tery is a light all darkness." It does not help us in the 
least when a philosopher spells the Unknowable with 
a capital ''U," and advises us to worship it. For when 
we ask him what to believe about It, he can only an- 
swer, "Believe that you can never know what It is ;" 
and when we ask him what to say to It, he can only 
answer "Say nothing;" and when we ask him what 
It would have us do for Its glory, he can only answer, 
"You must find out for yourself, for It will never tell 
you." A religion of this kind, a religion of the Un- 
knowable, is a large name for something which has no 
existence ; it is an idle word dancing recklessly on the 
brink of nonsense. Certainly it is not the religion of 
the Bible which discloses a God who has made himself 
known unto man ; nor of Paul, who said : "Whom 
therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare we unto 
you ;" nor of Christ, who said to the Samaritans : "Ye 



THE KNOWING MANS NEGATIONS. 41 

worship ye know not what; we know what we wor- 
ship." 

The last objection that I want to lay against agnos- 
ticism is its irreligion. The profession and propaga- 
tion of this philosophy looks to the utter annihilation 
of all faith. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews, defines 
"faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evi- 
dence of things not seen," and illustrated his definition 
by saying, ''Through faith we believe the worlds were 
made of nothing by the Word of God," and through 
faith the Old Testament worthies walked the straight 
and narrow way of holiness— "Looking for the city 
which hath foundations whose builder and maker is 
God ;" the promises proving their sufficient inspiration, 
and the voice of the Spirit giving adequate guidance. 
But all of this the Agnostics reject. They cannot see 
that city, hence they say that they do not know that it 
exists. They have no interest in those promises, hence 
deny their beneficial power. They have no ear for the 
Spirit's whispers, and so they deny he ever speaks. 
Their philosophy wraps the whole world in a fog of 
skepticism, and leaves men without chart or compass 
with which to sail its stormy seas. There isn't a ques- 
tion troubling the wayfaring soul for which they have 
any hopeful answer. Dr. Talmage, speaking of this 
subject, says, you ask, "Is there a God?" They answer, 
"I don't know." "Is the soul immortal?" "I don't 
know." "If we should meet each other in the future 
world would we recognize each other?" "I don't 
know." Infidelity proposes to substitute a religion of 
awful negatives for our faith of glorious positives. "I 
know whom I have believed." "I know that my Re- 
deemer liveth." "Have you heard of a conspiracy to put 



42 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

out all the lighthouses along the coast ? Do you know 
that on a certain night of next month, Eddystone light- 
house, Bell Rock lighthouse, Sherryvore lighthouse, 
Montauk lighthouse, Hatteras lighthouse. New Lon- 
don lighthouse, Barnegat lighthouse, and the 640 light- 
houses on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts are to be 
extinguished? *Oh,' you say, 'what will become of the 
ships on that night ? What will be the fate of the one 
million sailors following the sea? What will be the 
doom of the millions of passengers? Who will arise 
to put down such a conspiracy?' Every man, woman 
and child in America and the world. But that is only 
a fable. That is what infidelity is trying to do — put 
out all the lighthouses on the coast of eternity, letting 
the soul go up to the "Narrows" of death with no light, 
no comfort, no peace — all that coast covered with the 
blackness of darkness. Instead of the great light- 
houses, a glowworm of wit, a firefly of jocosity. Which 
do you like the better, O voyager for eternity, the fire- 
fly or the lighthouse?" 

Now you are willing to have me turn from Huxley 
to Holy Writ ; from Darwin to the Divine Word ; from 
Harrison to Heaven's message ; from Ingersoll to the 
Son of God; from agnosticism to knowledge, and our 
text provides occasion. "If any man shall do His will 
he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God." 
You see your way. 

THE SECRET OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE. 

It involves self surrender. "If any man is willing 
to do his will." Ay ! there is the starting point. There 
also is an obstacle. Men want to do their own wills. 
Men draw back from the Divine will. Some of them 



THE KNOWING MANS NEGATIONS. 43 

refuse to search out what it is, and others having seen 
that will in the Word, or having heard it from the pul- 
pit, find the flesh refusing it, rebelling against it. 
Hence, soul-darkness. The way to Calvary was not 
made plain to Christ Himself until He said: "Father, 
not my will, but thine be done." And you will never 
find your way there to stand at the feet of Jesus and 
hear your sin forgiven until you say the same. But 
if God be God you will find it when you say it. As our 
text declares of that man, "He shall know." 

The path before you is plain even now. So many 
people want to see the whole length of the highway to 
Heaven before they take a single step in holy living; 
but remember that this text does not promise the lifting 
of all the clouds, the clearing of every fog, but it does 
promise a plain path for your feet, and to-night God is 
verifying His Word. 

There is a better way for your next step. "Be- 
lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be 
saved." What hinders you from going that length? 
Suppose there are mysteries somewhere ! Suppose as 
you attempt to divine your whole future, the fogs cut 
off the view! What of it when you can see clearly 
enough what the next step is ? 

Dr. Arthur Pierson says : "You gaze up at Mont 
Blanc; it is dim with the distance, and clouds wrap 
its summit as in a white shroud. But the clouds he- 
long about lofty peaks ; that is their natural home and 
they make the mountain look grand and sublime. They 
are fitted to catch a thousand hues from the sunbeam, 
and wrap the awful peak in rainbow colors ; they leave 
the snow and ice far up toward heaven, which, as they 
melt, distill pure cool water for the springs below. But, 



44 VAGARIES AND VERITIES, 

though clouds invest these summits thousands of feet 
above, there are no clouds about your pathway at the 
mountain's foot ; here your path is plain and clear. And 
all this shows that you were not meant to live on that 
higher level. Those grand peaks are, like the stars 
they seem to touch, meant to look at and admire — to 
strike awe into your soul ; but you could not abide up 
there ; you would get lost. Those are slippery heights, 
whence many an ambitious climber falls to his own 
hurt. The air is too rare up there; you breathe with 
difficulty, and the cold is too intense. But here you 
walk safely, and your feet do not stumble." 

Will you start to-nightf Begin with what you 
suppose to be true, and ask God to make all needful 
revelations, and unless this inspired Word fails, your 
Father will do it. 

There is the story of Dr. Rainford's dealing 
with an old friend of his, a German professor 
who was an agnostic, and whose whole creed was 
summed up in the three words, "I don't know." 
This old professor came to visit Dr. Rainsford and 
went with him to all the services of his church. When 
the day was ended the rector said to him : "Professor, 
tell me what you think of it all." His answer was : "It 
is beautiful, but that is all I can say." Then Dr. Rains- 
ford put to him these questions : First, "Do you not 
think that it is possible that there may be a God ?" And 
the old professor said : "Yes, possible." Second : 
"Then do you not think that it is probable that God has 
made a revelation of Himself to His creatures?" And 
his friend answered, "Yes, probable." Third: "Well 
do you not think," said he, "that He would make that 
revelation plain if we were to ask Him ?" And the old 



I 



THE KNOWING MANS NEGATIONS. 45 

professor answered, "I should think He would be 
obliged to." "Well," said Dr. Rainsford, "have you 
ever asked Him ?" And the old man answered, "No." 
"For my sake," said he, "will you ask Him now ?" And 
they fell upon their knees in the study, and the minis- 
ter said, "Lord God, reveal thyself unto my dear 
friend." When his prayer was ended he said, "Now, 
Professor, you pray." And the old man lifted his eyes 
and said, "Oh, God," and then as if he felt he had 
gone too far, he changed his petition, and said, "Oh, 
God, if there be a God, show me the light and I will" — 
he was going to say "I will walk in it," — when sudden- 
ly he sprang to his feet with his face radiant and shout- 
ed, "Why I see it, and it is glorious !" His agnosticism 
took wings and departed from him. Faith filled his 
heart ; and joy thrilled in his soul. He was from that 
time a good disciple of Jesus Christ. In the light of 
all this I make the plea ; only encourage your least de- 
sire, and you shall come to know Him whom to know 
is life eternal. 



IV. 

Xtberaltsm: or, tlbe Speculations ot 
tbe inmnspireb. 

"Why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?" 
I. Cor. 10:29. 

"To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not ac- 
cording to this Word, it is because there is no light in them." 
Isaiah 8:20. 

"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." 
John 15:14. 

WE have already given ourselves to the study 
of "Atheism: or, The Fool's Material 
Philosophy"; "Anarchism: or, Defiance of Consti- 
tuted Authority"; and to a half-hour's thought on 
"Agnosticism : or, The Knowing Man's Negations." 

This evening we are to talk upon another one of 
the Isms popular at the present time; in a way, the 
most popular of those that are now patent, namely — 
"Liberalism." 

I find, in my touch with unchurched men and 
women, many curious and corrupting philosophies of 
religion that are passing current ; and not all of those 
who hold some one of them understand that they have 
received for Christianity a misleading and mischievous 
counterfeit. It was on this account that I deemed it 
advisable to speak to this series of subjects, purposing, 



THE SPECULATIONS OF THE UNINSPIRED. 47 

God helping me, to put before those here present, what 
the Word says ; knowing how impossible it is for error 
to live in the white light of Divine truth. 

From one standpoint few pastors have so little rea- 
son to be disturbed by these Isms as does your speaker. 
In these five years of service in this pulpit, I have not 
parted with a man, woman, or child, who has gone to 
join any one of those bodies which teach and preach 
the Isms to which this series refers. There is no self- 
defense, therefore, in what has been said, in what will 
be said, in the discussion of these subjects. But so 
profoundly convinced am I that the way to keep peo- 
ple from wandering is to preach to them the Word, 
that I propose to set over against these Isms what the 
Scripture saith. And then, that part of this audience, 
which is unchurched as yet, and which makes up so 
considerable a proportion of it on every Sunday night, 
have the right to expect the truth from the ministry 
on which they are pleased to wait ; and an equal right 
to look to that same pulpit for exposition of error that 
they may be instructed in the former, and warned 
against the latter. 

For the treatment of the subject of ''Liberalism, 
or the Speculations of the Uninspired" three texts have 
been selected and read. They furnish a proper basis 
for the discussion of this theme ; they provide a start- 
ing point for its study ; and they, together with other 
Scriptures, that properly pertain to this subject, will 
prove either its right to live or reasons why it should 
die. 

To the Word then, "Why is my liberty judged of 
another man's conscience ?" It is not ; it should not be. 



48 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

another's conscience cannot determine 

MY creed. 

You will search the Bible in vain for the approval 
of that Popish practice. To the highest potentate of 
any visible church ; to the most arrogant church itself 
God says, "Who art thou that judgeth another man's 
servant? To his own Master he standeth or falleth." 
"For it is written, As I live saith the Lord, Every 
tongue shall confess to God." "So then every one of us 
shall give an account of himself to God." Not to the 
Pope, if you please ! Not to the Church ! Not to any 
living fellow-creature for his convictions, but to God. 
"Let us not therefore, judge one another any more." 
This is not to say there is no authority with the church. 
Every man entering into an organized body, voluntari- 
ly accepts the teaching of that body, both in the form 
of its creed and the character of its discipline. And 
while that church can in no sense control his opinion, 
when he finds himself unable to accept its creed, and 
agree to its doctrines, common honesty makes his with- 
drawal from it a sacred obligation. But when he so 
withdraws, the church has no right to pronounce his 
doom because of his departure. When Evangelist 
Houser left Catholicism in obedience to the call of 
truth our worshipful ( ? ) Bishop Ireland sent him the 
following suggestive epistle: "May God the Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost damn you. May the Holy Angels 
damn you. May the Blessed Virgin Mary damn you. 
May all the prophets, priests and children of God damn 
you. May you be damned in your waking or sleeping ; 
in your eating or drinking; your standing or sitting; 
your walking or running. May you be damned in your 
seed and progeny, your blood letting or blood withhold- 



/ ^CULATIONS OF THE UNINSPIRED. 49 

m ; . be damned in your hands and feet ; your 

spfcc^^ii c*.xvx ^.^ence ; in your brain and all the members 
of your body. May you be damned and eternally 
burned unless you repent and make restitution." But 
Houser knew the harmlessness of the Bishop's literary 
tirade. "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the 
Lord." 

The spirit of intolerance in religion is Satanic. 
There are people who are quite given now-a-days to 
commending everything and everybody, and conse- 
quently they have their compliments for Romanism. It 
has never seemed to me necessary to continue a tirade 
against Catholicism. I have met Catholic people whom 
I believe to be Christians of a superior sort; I have 
come to the conclusion that the Roman Catholic 
church is not "the anti-Christ" ; I see certain things 
in the conduct of that Church in America that are 
worthy of commendation. In many phases of its char- 
ities, its "Sisters," to say the least, are Christlike, and 
set before Protestant people beautiful examples. But 
one cannot forget the frightful intolerance which has 
characterized this organization in almost every instance 
where it was possessed with sufficient power. Its 
spoliation of old England in the days of Wicliff, de- 
manding, as its due, enormous sums of money, and 
compelling its payment by shedding of blood, is a scar- 
let page that cannot be subtracted from history; its 
persecutions, even to the point of sword and fagot, for 
that noble line of God-appointed prophets, beginning 
with Tauler, including Wicliff, Hus, Savonarola, Lati- 
mer, Melancthon, Knox, Calvin, Coligny, Brewster and 
Wesley, will not soon be forgotten. While the mas- 
sacre of the Hugenots by the basest treachery that was 



50 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

ever planned, with the most criminal hands that ever 
spilled blood, and for the most dastardly purpose that 
ever animated hatred, ought not to be forgotten; es- 
pecially in view of the fact that these acts have never 
been repudiated by these people; that the men and 
women who headed them are now called "the saints" 
of the church, and innocent children are taught to sing 
their praises. To be sure Catholicism has not been 
alone in its intolerance. John Bunyan went to jail at 
the hands of the Church of England ; Servetus was des- 
troyed with the consent of Calvin; and in New Eng- 
land and Spottsyvania, Va., Baptist ministers were 
either silenced or sent to prison by Congregationalists. 
Yet the great difference is in this, that the successors 
of these intolerant fathers have condemned their con- 
duct, and deplored their spirit. As a Baptist I am 
proud of one thing in particular, that is, that you 
search history in vain to find a page stained with blood 
shed by Baptist hands ; to find a single soul persecuted 
of this people because he held opinions other than 
they propagated. 

You don't want to be broader than the Bible in what 
you believe, nor yet more liberal than Jesus Christ, but 
for liberty of conscience, for the right of each man to 
decide for himself what and how he shall worship, our 
forefathers fought and died, yet conquered ; and we are 
content and happy to plead the practice of the same 
policy. 

Toleration, evefi^is not true religion. The very word 
has in it the suggestion of an exclusive right! The 
church that boasts its toleration, expresses in the same 
breath its consummate egotism. Is it commendable that 
Catholics now "tolerate" in Italy, in France, in Mexico, 



THE SPECULATIONS OF THE UNINSPHmD. 51 

in Cuba, in the Philippines, and "privilege" Protest- 
ants to make proselites? "Tolerate!" "Privilege!" 
Indeed ! Do you tolerate a man when he expresses his 
opinion? Do you privilege a man when you permit 
him to worship God as he pleases, unmolested? Per- 
ish the suggestion! His right to his opinion is as 
Divine as yours; as inalienable! Who made you a 
keeper of his conscience ! Who passed over to you the 
power to decide his thinking! You never hear a 
Methodist saying "We are four million strong in Am- 
erica, and yet we ptivilege! our Presbyterian brethren 
to preach ;" you never hear a Baptist boast his liberality 
because with four millions in this country, his denomin- 
ation does not persecute the smaller Congregational, 
Disciple, or even the Christian Science Church ! Right 
is not determined by might ; toleration is not the at- 
titude for the majority ! If I were the only Baptist in 
America I would have as much right to my opinion 
as any man of the four million Methodists in America ! 
I would not ask them to tolerate me, I would stand up 
and say, "By the liberty of my conscience, by the roy- 
alty of my mind, and in loyalty to my Master, I claim 
equal ground with you!" "Why is my liberty judged 
of another man's conscience ?" 

But I go further still — so far as man's right over 
man is concerned. Even the infidel is not to be coerc- 
ed. Robert G. IngersoU had the social and civil right 
to his opinions ! Up to the point where it could be proven 
that he was teaching or practicing immorality, his fel- 
lows might not interfere with his thinking; they had 
no right to hush him; no right to persecute him; no 
right to put him to death! Coercion is not Christ's 
method of conquering! He trusts truth rather; He 



52 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

has not commanded His follower to imitate Mahomet, 
and go after infidels with a sword ; but rather to imitate 
Himself, and go after them with the Sacred Word, and 
where it cannot conquer, unaided by violence, the 
Saviour wills no conquest. 

I found, while visiting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 
what I never knew before, and what I was amazed to 
discover — and that is, that the great majority of the 
Bohemian people of this country are atheists of the 
rankest sort. Of fifty papers they publish in America 
more than forty propagate this atheism. The effect 
upon Bohemian life can be more easily imagined than 
pictured. And yet, but for a single point in their 
teaching, I should plead their right of opinion, and 
that is the point of its flagrant immorality. If the 
cathechism published by these people for the use of 
children in their schools, and on sale in one of their 
book stores in the city of Chicago, was in English, the 
seller would go to prison for its moral rottenness. 
But we must make distinction between personal opin- 
ions and teaching that has to do with public morals. 
The latter we may control — and must ; the former, we 
may not touch, "for my liberty is not to be judged by 
another man's conscience.''' 

But when I insist that no man has a right to make 
his conscience the basis of creed for others, I do not 
argue that one can think to suit himself, and see no 
evil come from it. Our second text takes us into an- 
other realm. When man deals with his fellow, he deals 
with his equal only, and can neither pose as master nor 
play the part of slave, without injury to his soul. But 
when man deals with God, the whole case is different. 
Here is where present-day ''liberaHsm'* is in error. 



1 



THB SPECULATIONS OF THE UNINSPIRED. 53 

Our text calls attention to that fact — "To the law and 
to the testimony, if they speak not according to this 
Word, it is because there is no light in them." When 
God speaks there is no longer room for debate, unless 
the creature has become wiser than the Creator. You 
say 'T will think to suit myself; I will believe the 
Bible or not, as I please; I will adopt its opinions or 
put them away at my pleasure." Then you will lose 
your soul in consequence. 

THE LIBERALISM THAT LOOSES FROM THE BIBLE 
LEAVES THE LIGHT. 

A man who says "I will think to suit myself, God's 
Word to the contrary notwithstanding," ships on the 
shoreless sea where no polar star appears; for which 
no chart or compass has ever been prepared. 

Charles Spurgeon, speaking of this said, "Some 
people think it doesn't matter what doctrines you be- 
lieve; that it is immaterial what church you attend; 
that all denominations are alike; and that infidelity is 
little less valuable than faith, if only sincere." "Well" 
said Spurgeon, "I dislike Mrs. Bigotry above almost 
all people in the world, and I never give her any com- 
pliment or praise. But there is another woman I hate 
equally as much, and that is Mrs. Latitudinarianism, a 
well-known character, who has discovered that there 
isn't much choice between truth and error." Liberal- 
ists are her children, and much like their mother. 

Some of them say, "Well there are several sacred 
books. We guess they are all good enough. The Kor- 
an of" Mahomed, the Shaster of Hindoo, the Zenda- 
vesta of Persia, and the Bible. If a man honestly be- 
lieves in either, he is all right." All right, and yet a 



54 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

savage? All right and yet lancing himself? "All 
right" and yet throwing his children into the Ganges, 
or under the Juggernauts? ''All right" yet hanging 
with a hook in his back to excite the commiseration of 
the Deity? Believe it if you will, but to believe it is 
to go back to barbarism! 

A Bible like an individual is "known by its fruits," 
and the man who is so liberal that he would as soon 
accept the one that keeps its subjects in savagery, as 
the one that has produced Christian civilization, shows 
little intelligent concern for either the state of society, 
or the eventual disposition of the soul. 

"But'' says another, "the light of Nature suits me. 
I prefer to walk by that." Well, the light of Nature is 
darkness, twelve hours out of every twenty-four, for 
at least two weeks in each month ; and those who fol- 
low it are commonly children of the Night. They had 
the light of nature in Africa before Livingstone went 
to them with the Gospel, but it never illumined their 
minds, or let one ray into their darkened hearts. Hume, 
the great infidel historian, was an ardent advocate of 
the light of Nature. One night he was calling at a 
good minister's home, and on his leaving, the parson 
proposed holding the lamp while he made his way 
down the steps. "Oh, no," said Hume, "I will walk 
in the light of Nature ; the moon shines !" At the sec- 
ond step the moon was obscured by a passing cloud, 
and Mr. Hume missed his footing and fell flat on his 
face. The preacher ran down and assisted him in ris- 
ing, and then remarked, "Mr. Hume when you could 
have clear shinning, don't break your fool neck by at- 
tempting to walk in Nature's uncertain light." The 
Psalmist sets us a better example when he says, "Thy 



THE SPECULATIONS OF THE UNINSPIRED. 55 

Word is a lamp unto my feet; and a light unto my 
path." While Solomon, the wisest of men, teaches the 
same truth, saying, "For the commandment is a lamp, 
and the law is light." 

There are others who say ^'We rely upon Reason/' 
"We find no need of a Revelation !" Well, Reason is 
a good thing if you have enough of it. But the man 
who is so bigoted as to suppose his reason a sufficient 
guide at all times is commonly short in that commodi- 
ty. The worst Pope that ever presided beside the Ti- 
ber is not so ignorant and arrogant as is that Pope 
Self, which says "I am sufficient." Paul, if he were 
writing Epistles to-day, would address some Minnea- 
politans as he did certain Romans, "Be not wise in 
your own conceit." 

But ''Science r says another, "Surely you admit the 
light of Science." I ask, "Whose Science?" "How 
much Science do you know ? Of what Science are you 
a master? To what school of Science do you belong? 
How long will the Science of your school be regarded 
scientific ?" 

Joseph Parker, in his "Plea for the Old Sword" re- 
minds us that science is a very shifting thing. Newton 
had one Science ; Tyndall set up another. To-day they 
are both rejected in many particulars by the great 
names. Progressive Professors find that when ten 
years have passed standard text-books go out of date, 
supplanted by new ones ; while practicing physicians 
would not dare prescribe for their patients after the 
manner of their predecessors. Ah, truly the Apostle 
wrote: "Whether there be knowledge it shall pass 
away." We don't object to Nature; we don't reject 
Reason ; we don't despise Science, but we say of them 



56 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

all they were never meant for the salvation of the soul. 
They may tell us something about how "the heavens 
go;" but, on "how to go to heaven" they speak not 
a dependable word. The teachers of them ought to 
keep to their realm of physics, and cease once for all 
from attempting to turn them into theology. Before 
Isaiah's speech every one of them must be measured : 
"To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not 
according to this Word it is because there is no light in 
them." And this Word says we can't be saved by 
Reason; this Word says Nature never made a saint; 
this Word denies Science any soul-saving power, for it 
is written, of Jesus of Nazareth, whom God raised 
from the dead, "Neither is there salvation in any other. 
For there is none other name under heaven, given 
among men, whereby we must be saved." 

Dr. A. J. Gordon quotes "If any man preach any 
other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, let 
him be accursed," and says, "This makes very serious 
business of the ministry — serious in view of the fact 
that we have no more choice as to what kind of Gospel 
we will preach, than as to what kind of money we will 
use to pay our debts." He reminds us that one of 
the most artful methods of issuing spurious currency 
is to take a gold coin, bore into it and dig out its heart 
and then fill the space with lead, leaving the coin intact 
in appearance, but with its value gone ; and insists that 
the present-day liberalism has adopted the custom, and 
is palming upon the public a counterfeit of God's reli- 
gion. When I compare what is preached from the so- 
called liberal pulpits of the land, with what is written 
in the everlasting Word of God, I find myself com- 
pelled to agree with Gordon. 



THE SPECULATIONS OF THE UNINSPIRED. 57 

But to the last text : "Ye are my friends if ye do 
whatsoever I command you." 

IN Christ's commands the christian finds an 

END TO CONTROVERSY. 

His fcdth is not a question of his ow^n opinion, and 
certainly is not to be determined by his pleasure. Theo- 
dore Parker, the father of American free-thinking, af- 
ter discussing the reasons men had assigned for his 
apparent success, said, ^'The real thing they did not 
seem to hit, was, that I preached an idea of God; of 
man; and of religion, which commended itself to the 
nature of mankind." To which this sage reply has 
been made "Sure enough, it is cheering to the natural 
man" to be told, for instance that "sin has no more 
existence than the phlogiston which was premised to 
explain combustion, and to hear all reference to it 
branded as "damaged phraseology," tainted with in- 
famous "notions of God and man." And if, perchance, 
mention must be made of the petty errors, the venial 
omissions, the occasional peccadillos, which now and 
then force themselves on our attention, what more 
soothing and reassuring than to be told that such slips 
"are but the incidents of our attempts to get command 
over our faculties;" that, "just as children in learn- 
ing to write mistake letters, miscall words, and mis- 
write phrases," so we, by "these experiments which 
fail, learn self-command." Such was the lavender- 
i water theology preached for a whole generation by 
this priest of "transcendentalism." It was a theology, 
too, which was as full of opposition to Christianity as 
it ^\a:i» "wee: and irrational." 

The r\j?'n who is striving to lead a true Christian 
lif disposition of his flesh and the demands 

! 



58 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

of his heavenly Father often in conflict. If he practice 
the former and build up a creed in keeping with his 
conduct, it will result every time in a degradation of 
character. But, if, on the other hand, God's commands 
become his marching orders, difficult as some of them 
will be to execute, obedience to them will bring him 
a spiritual blessing and increase his Christ-likeness. 
When, therefore, you make choice between the liberal- 
ism of Parker, and the Revelation of God's Word, you 
decide whether you will go up or down, heavenward 
or hellward. To live a godly life in Christ Jesus re- 
quires an admission of the existence of sin; requires 
a constant fight against the adversary — Satan ; re- 
quires a struggle to put under Self, with all the lusts 
of the flesh; but it also rewards its subjects with salva- 
tion. I would rather be the man who breasts the winds 
and waves, and after hours of conflict with them, 
makes the beach, than the one who seizes some passing 
spar and drifts with it oceanward, gliding gaily, until 
he is beyond the reach of a possible return, and is lost 
to the sight of the Life-savers. 

It is in loyalty to the Word of the Lord that light 
increases for us. No man can know the right until 
he is willing to do it. Jesus said, "If any man is will- 
ing to do God's will, he shall know of the teaching, 
whether it be from God." And the whole question, 
therefore, of a man's salvation turns upon his wilHng- 
ness to practice the truth of God. Every one hesitating 
to be obedient to the Word might say : 

"Lo, on a narrow neck of land, 
'Twixt two unbounded seas I stand 
A moment's time, an inch of space 
May lodge me in yon heavenly place, 
Or shut me un in Hell." 



THE SPECULATIONS OF THE UNINSPIRED. 59 

Such, in fact, are the interests depending upon 
whether one accepts the truth or rejects it. For, "he 
that believeth hath everlasting life. And he that be- 
lieveth not is condemned already." Oh, that to-night, 
I could persuade those of you who have been playing 
with false faiths, to put them all aside, to be done with 
them forever, and to come home to Him who stands 
ready to save; ready to reveal his truth to the man 
who will walk in it. For one day, the final hour will 
be on, and how good then, it will be to find that you 
have adopted that philosophy of religion which makes 
of Jesus your friend. 

My friend, Mr. Porter, the pastor at Cedar Rapids, 
Iowa, told me this story of a class-mate's death. 
It was in a vacation season when the end came 
to this young man. Another of Mr. Porter's school 
friends, an unconverted man, was at the bed- 
side of this sick collegemate when the last hour was on, 
A few minutes before his death, this man said, "My 
good fellow, you know I am not a Christian, I don't 
know what to say to you, I don't know how to pray for 
you, but I do feel that I ought to tell you you are going 
to die, so that if you desire to do so, you can make 
your peace with God." And the young man answered, 
"Many are the opportunities I have had to do that. 
They came to me when I was in health ; when my body 
! was whole, whefi my mind was' perfectly sane ; when 
my friends were praying for my surrender. I refused 
then, to accept the salvation that God offered in His 
Son. Now that my life is wasted ; that all my days are 
lost, I am ashamed to ask God to save my soul." And 
without a further word of repentance ; without a single 



60 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

appeal for pardon, he passed out to stand before that 
God whose love he had rejected. 

I plead with you to-night to make your peace with 
God now. I plead with you to follow the appointments 
of His Word, and find now forgiveness and cleansing ! 
While you are in health ; while you are of sound mind ; 
while you are free from any suggestion of "the last 
sickness," will ypu offer yourselves to Him, to be for- 
ever obedient unto His Word? 



V. 

/iDammontsm: or, XTbe /lDa5 IRace 
tor /iDonep^ 

"Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." Luke 16:13. 

MAMMONISH has come to have a very defin- 
ite meaning. In fact, it would seem that 
the usage of this word was at once common, and the 
thought contained in it patent, in Christ's time. He 
employed it to express a personification of the love of 
riches, when He said, "Ye cannot serve God and Mam- 
mon." The Talmud confirms us in the notion that this 
word was in common use in Christ's day because we 
find in it the saying, touching the Jews of that time, 
"We know that they believed in the law and took care 
of the Commandments, and of the tithes, and that 
their whole conversation was good — only that they 
loved the Mammon and hated one another without 
cause." 

McClintock and Strong, in their Bible Encyclopedia, 
say of Mammon, "there is no reason .to suppose that 
any idol received Divine honors, in the East, under 
this name." 

Frederick W. Robertson, speaking of this same 
term, says, "Mammon is the name of an Assyrian god 
who presided over wealth." Whatever may be the 
truth between these authorities, it is clear that Christ 

61 



62 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

meant to speak of Mammon as if it were a god of 
many men, when he said, "No man can serve two mas- 
ters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, 
or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. 
Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." And more and 
more, as time goes on, our common speech imperson- 
ates this spirit of greed of gain, and calls it "the god" 
of those men who worship at the shrine of silver and 
gold. Krummacher meant to emphasize that very- 
thought, when speaking of the delusions of Mammon, 
he said, "Do not believe the impotent idol ; his golden 
mountains are but the ocean's foam, his paradises de- 
ceptive phantoms." 

Some years ago Dr. Lorimer, speaking to this same 
subject, called attention to certain great social sins, 
which, if they were not outstripping our civiliza- 
tion, were to say the least, keeping full to the 
front of it, and added, "The more I reflect on the pre- 
sent state of society, the more fully am I convinced 
that the evils of which I have complained are to be 
traced to that particular sin which is condemned by 
Jesus in the text, *Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.* 
The sins of which he had spoken were the debasement 
of human bodies, the indifference to human life, the 
slaughter of the moral qualities of manhood, the ex- 
altation to the office of idols, supremacy in com- 
merce, political sovereignty and social aggrandizement. 
And it is in part, because I agree with this honored 
pastor in his strictures upon the spirit of greed, that 
I speak to you this evening on the subject of "Mam- 
monism : or, The Mad Race for Money." 

The three or four assertions that I want to make 
concerning Mammonism, will scarcely be disputed by 
any. 



THE MAD RACE FOR MONEY, 63 

IT APPEALS TO THE NATURAL MAN. 

When I speak of "the natural man," I mean just 
that. The man who is Nature's product ; the man of 
the flesh. It makes no difference whether he be the 
man you . call Christian or skeptic, the desires of the 
flesh remain the same. In the first instance the spirit 
may be in mastery over them, while in the second the 
desire itself is master of all, but in each, the desire 
is there. 

The appeal is to the passion of gain. I believe this 
to be a natural passion, an inherent one, also. Children 
come into the world with certain lusts of the flesh ; and 
no one of them evidences itself sooner than this selfish 
spirit of gain. The toothless baby will attempt to take 
toys away from its brothers and sisters. That is at 
once a prophecy of what he will attempt when he be- 
comes a man ; and the proof that this passion is bom 
with the child. Under the best circumstances of breed- 
ing it will take on more and more strength, and you 
will find it asserting itself in the alley where boys 
play marbles for keeps ; in the sitting room where girls 
dispute touching their respective possessions ; and when 
full grown, in the gambling den where men strive to 
rob each other, and in the brothel where women part 
with virtue, for the sake of gain. 

John Ruskin says, "The first of all English games 
is money-making. That is an all-absorbing game, and 
we knock each other down oftener in playing at that 
than at football, or any rougher sport." And Ruskin's 
true words are only an illustration to the effect that 
greed is not only a natural passion with men ; but with 
multitudes it is the master passion as well. True, its 
original implantation, may have been for the purpose 



64 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

of self-preservation, sustenance, success ; but, that it 
has become a very lust no man can question who stu- 
dies the conduct of many of his fellow^ mortals. 

In September, 1900, the newspapers reported four 
thousand people at Cape Nome, stranded and sending 
piteous appeals to the government of the United States 
for transports away from that North land, ere the win- 
ter season came, bringing certain death by starvation 
and cold. What accounted for the rush to that inhos- 
pitable clime? Only this, — that gold had been found 
there. Were these people so poverty-stricken in their 
own homes that to make such a trip and run such risks 
were necessary to the possible continuance of exist- 
ence? No! multitudes of them had left behind pros- 
perous business, had parted from paying positions, had 
gone from comfortable homes. The master passion of 
gain sent them to this far-off shore and to this barren 
land. 

Jesus had occasion when He said, "Take heed 
and beware of covetousness. For a man's life con- 
sisteth not in the abundance of the things which he 
possesseth." ^ 

Mahommed claimed among his revelations, one to- 
this effect, *'If a son of Adam had two rivers of gold, 
he would covet the third, and if he had three he would 
covet the fourth." 

It appeals also to the pride of the eyes. Riches give 
opportunity to make a fair show in the flesh ; and who 
by nature is free from the desire? When John sum- 
med up the sources of all sin, he found need of but 
three expressions, "the lust of the flesh, the lust of 
the eyes, and the pride of Hfe." Did you ever stop 



THE MAD RACE FOR MONEY. 65 

to think how Mammonism creates and cultivates "the 
lust of the eyes ?" By clothing the rich in costly attire 
it incites to covetousness the middle and poorer classes ; 
and not a few of these, determined to make a fair show 
in the flesh, either live beyond their means and are 
cursed with debt, or else defraud their fellows, and 
are destroyed by dishonesty. If the money that men 
and women use to needlessly adorn person, equipage, 
home; the money spent, not for necessities, but solely 
to make a show, were given to God for the proclama- 
tion of the Gospel, the whole world would hear the 
truth in a twelve month. But the pride of men's eyes 
make this impossible. Under Mammon's influence it 
seems to them more important that they should shine 
before their fellows than that souls should be saved 
from sin. 

A brother had some occasion for his strictures on 
what he styled the "anomalous dukes of American So- 
ciety" when he declared it to be a truth that "the coars- 
est piece of human crockery, not worth five shillings 
of anybody's money, if stuffed like the earthen idol of 
Somnauth with half a wagon-load of gold coin," was 
looked upon by many as a veritable deity entitled to 
the tremulous homage of mankind. It is such homage 
men want. Hence their league with Mammon. 

Mammonism also appeals to the lust of power. Did 
it ever occur to you that when all other arts of the Ad- 
versary had failed, the climax of temptation remained 
to him, and he brought it forth in his endeavor to ef- 
fect the downfall of the Son of Man. "He taketh Him 
up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth Him 
all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, 



66 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

and saith unto Him, "All these things will I give Thee, 
if thou wilt fall down and worship me." 

It seems to me that no man can longer question 
that the lust of power is, from Satan's standpoint, the 
colossal temptation, for when this failed, Satan con- 
fessed his defeat by fleeing from the Man who had re- 
sisted it. And from time immemorial, Mammon's sub- 
jects have occupied this seat. As Dr. Harris, once sug- 
gested, "Titles and honors are among its rewards, and 
thrones are at its disposal; among its counselors are 
kings, and many of the great and mighty of the earth 
are enrolled among its worshippers. Where are the 
waters that are not plowed by its navies ; what empe- 
rial element is not yoked to its car; philosophy itself 
has become a mercenary in its pay ; and science — a vo- 
tary at its shrine, — brings all its noblest discoveries as 
offerings to its feet. What part of the globe's sur- 
face is not rapidly yielding up its lost stores of hidden 
treasure to the spirit of gain? Scorning the dream of 
the philosopher's stone it aspires to turn the globe it- 
self into gold." 

When only a few years since, Horace Greeley 
dubbed our current coin, on which is written, "In God 
we trust," "The Almighty Dollar" men held up their 
hands at the irreverence and the impiety of speech. 
But while it is true that God, and God alone, is wor- 
shipped by the true Christian people the world over, as 
the only God of power, Mammon has a greater multi- 
tude of votaries ; and surely much of the power of this 
present world she puts into their hands, and by this 
very appointment continues her mighty appeal to the 
Natural man. 

My next remark concerning Mammonism is this, 



THE MAD RACE FOR MONEY. 67 

IT CHARACTERIZES MODERN COMMERCE. 

There is a sense in which commerce of all times 
has been inspired by the spirit of gain. The evil chil- 
dren of this spirit — such as cheating, dishonesty and 
robbery, are not twentieth-century products ; every age 
since Jacob has had its quota of supplanters. 

But surely Mammonism never had so conspicuous 
a place in commerce as it holds in this moment. This 
is due to certain effects of what we call our advanced 
civilization. 

Never before was money so valuable. The marts 
never possessed so many things that could be had in 
exchange for money. And the men of the past, educat- 
ed under other systems, "never had so many wishes to 
be gratified, necessities to be met, lusts to be satisfied, 
as the children of this century know. Our fathers 
could get on with very little of gold. Log cabins were 
easy when the forest stood thick on every side; home- 
spun clothes comfortable when the best-to-do neigh- 
bors knew no other style; the appetite was readily 
gratified when the garden and the forest were alone 
looked to for a contribution. A hundred years ago, 
with a few pennies in his pocket, a man could walk 
among his fellows and feel his need of nothing. To- 
night just because money is so valuable; just because 
the possession of so many things depends upon present- 
ing it in exchange, one's pockets must be filled with it, 
or else he finds himself face to face with adverse winds 
at every turn. I noticed a while ago, that the vessels 
plying between San Francisco and Cape Nome had 
hit upon the intelligent expedient of taking sand from 
those gold-besprinkled beaches of the Nome district, 
and using it for ballast on the return trip. It served 



68 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

to steady the vessel in her warfare againsc the storms 
that sweep the Pacific; and when she had come into 
port, it returned to her something Hke a hundred dol- 
lars a ton, clean profit. I am willing to admit that the 
man of some means is best equipped to stem the tides 
and fight the storms of twentieth century life. Money 
never had so much value as it has this evening. It 
can do better than clothe a man in fine linen; better 
than provide him with sumptuous fare for every day: 
with it he can purchase mental stores, and by its prop- 
er use he can even enrich the soul, and honor God. 

And, thanks to the spirit of modern commerce, 
money was never so easily ma)de as now. The Old 
Testament fathers lived for hundreds of years, but the 
conditions of life were such that even Methuselah 
could not possibly become a millionaire. If it be true 
that Adam lived, as is commonly supposed, about six 
thousand years ago, had he continued until now, put- 
ting in the bank $50.00 for every working day in the 
year, he would this evening be worth only about $90,- 
000,000, a sum so small that he couldn't think of riding 
in the same class with Mr. Rockefeller, who, in about 
thirty years has amassed three or four times that 
amount. 

The ease of money makingi accentuates the greed of 
gain. The mere fact that Jay Gould can get together 
so much in the space of a short life ; that Mr. Rocke- 
feller can gain even more in less time, rouses the am- 
bition of the multitude. This ambition often expres- 
ses itself in that men bite and devour one another in 
their mad race for money-making. 

According to Herbert Spencer, "The Dakota used 
to eat the heart of a fallen antagonist to increase his 



THE MAD RACE FOR MONEY. 69 

own courage; and a New Zealander would swallow 
the eyes of a slain foe that he might see farther," and 
one remarks, ''When a cunning manipulator of 
stocks, by ways that are dark and tricks that are not 
vain, appropriates to himself the money of his less 
wily and astute fellow-citizen, he is assuredly following 
in the foot-steps of the Dakota and New Zealander." 
They simply robbed their victims of eyes and heart; 
but the conscienceless speculator plunders even his 
friends — for his own advantage — of that which is sight 
to their age and as strength to their helplessness." And 
yet, this writer has not gone far enough. The con- 
scienceless speculator destroys himself also. The man 
who covets the possessions of his fellows, and comes 
into them by any other means than that of fair ex- 
change will find his fortunes that beneath which he 
himself has fallen, and under the weight of which his 
moral manhood will expire. 

The story is told that when Rome was beseiged, 
the daughter of its ruler saw the golden bracelets on 
the left arm of the enemy, and she sent word to them. 
she would betray her city and surrender it if only they 
would give her these ornaments. The proffer was 
accepted ; at night the city gate opened. As the ,army 
passed in, she was present to receive the bracelets. 
Keeping their promise they threw them upon her, and 
followed them with their shields, until under the 
weight she fell and died. As Lot's wife stands a perpe- 
tual testimony to the folly of turning back to Sodom 
when once started for Zoar, so this daughter of Rome, 
demonstrated once for all the certainty of self-destruc- 
tion for all them who betray sacred interests to gratify 
the spirit of covetousness. 



70 VAGARIES AND VERITIES, 

Finally, let us think of 
Christ's three-fold judgment of mammonism. 

On three separate occasions this term Mammonism 
was employed by our Lord and Master. 

Once He sought to show how it tempts men to dis- 
honesty. In His parable of the unjust steward, 
after having called attention to the man's deception. 
He says, "If therefore, ye have not been faithful 
in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to 
your trust the true riches." (Luke i6:ii). That 
question is full of meaning ; it brings all of the dishon- 
est of the earth face to face with the fact that 
infidelity in business involves an exclusion from the 
Divine favor ; that commercial dishonesty is 
moral bankruptcy. Oh, that men could appreciate 
this fact. Henry Ward Beecher declares, "Should the 
Atlantic ocean break over our shores and roll sheer 
across to the Pacific, sweeping every vestige of cultiva- 
tion, and burying our wealth, it would be a mercy, 
compared to that ocean deluge of dishonesty and crime, 
which, sweeping over the whole land has spared our 
wealth and taken our virtues. What are corn-fields 
and vineyards ; what are stores and manufactures and 
what are gold and silver, when conscience and honor 
are gone?" 

Paul was thinking of dishonest gain when he wrote, 
"The love of money is the root of all evil. Which 
while some coveted after, they have erred from the 
faith and pierced themselves through with many sor- 
rows." 

Again, Jesus insisted that men must choose between 
Mammon and God. He said, "Ye cannot serve both 



THE MAD RACE FOR MONEY. 71 

God and Mammon." You will remember that long 
ago Job expressed the same sentiment, "If I have made 
gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold 'Thou art 
my confidence;' if I rejoiced because my wealth was 
great, and because mine hand had gotten much — ^this 
were an iniquity to be punished by the judge, for I 
should have denied the God that is above." 

That is a marvelous parable which we have called 
"the Parable of the Rich Fool." By it the Master 
made two points forever clear, First — The folly of 
storing up for the body while making no provision 
for the soul; and second — the insanity of supposing 
that one can either stay with his possessions or know 
surely what disposition _ will eventually be made of 
them. It is only a few years now since Drew and 
Vanderbilt were in their famous fight for the control 
of the Erie R. R., and the eyes of the nation were upon 
them as it is to-day upon Mr. Hill and his associates. 
When looking upon them one said, "Oh, God, who are 
these men? with phosphoric light I see standing over 
their portals the Divine hand writing 'Fool,' Tool !' and 
God says to them, 'In a year or two whose shall these 
things be?' " John Foster remarks, "The first of these 
men lost his wealth, the second left his." It is not our 
right to judge, but it is our misfortune to fear, lest 
in the choice of them both, God was not given first 
place. 

But Christ prescribes how to turn the unrighteous 
mammon to good account. "Make to yourselves 
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; that, when 
ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habita- 
tions." Luke 16:9. I think no one could study that 
parable without agreeing with John Watson in his 



72 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

interpretation of what Jesus meant by this speech. It 
was not that you could buy heaven with unholy money. 
God forbid ! But it was that you could so employ the 
perishing gold of earth as to prove yourself not un- 
worthy a place in the kingdom of God, and as to so 
aid those who shall precede you there that they will 
extend welcoming hands when once you come. Wat- 
son says, "The Magi who brought their gifts to the 
Holy Child ! the faithful women who made a home for 
God's Son ; St. Matthew, and such as he, who left all 
to follow Him ; Zacchaeus, who in honor of His coming 
gave half of his goods to the poor; Joseph, who ob- 
tained Christ's body from Pilate and laid it in his own 
garden tomb, were good stewards. These men did 
make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, 
and changed their gold and silver into eternal riches. 
They did not make their sacrifices for ends of gain, but 
for love's sake. Keeping the one commandment of 
Love, they had kept all the others, and had a right 
"to enter in by the gate into the City." 

A few days since I read an essay on the life of John 
Tauler, that matchless soul of the Middle Ages; and 
Dr. Herrick tells us how he turned his back upon his 
earthly father's riches that he might serve God. And 
though his decision made him poor for all time, who 
doubts that it made him rich for eternity? Some of 
you are familiar with the history of Fred Charrington, 
whose wonderful mission work in East London, has 
made him famed the world round. His father was 
a brewer, and when Fred was converted to God he 
commenced at once to seek the salvation of his fel- 
lows, but shortly discovered that he couldn't sell them 
beer and show them the way of Life at the same time. 



THE MAD RACE FOR MONEY. 73 

Accordingly he separated himself from the Brewing 
firm, and incurred his earthly father's displeasure and 
disinheritance. But who will say that his heavenly 
Father was not well-pleased with the sacrifice, seeing 
that in all these years, Charrington has gone on, spend- 
ing what fortune he had in evidence of his own friend- 
ship for Jesus Christ, and in the work of snatching 
men from sin, many of whom have preceded him to the 
glory land. Oh, I would like to be there when Fred 
Charrington sweeps in and see the multitude of the 
poor fellows that he snatched from East London slums, 
and started toward the Gates of God, as they give him 
royal welcome into the "House not made with hands." 
Yes, often it costs something to become a Christian, 
and always it costs something to remain a Christian, 
but who is not willing to pay the price of self-sacrifice 
for Christ's sake ! and who that knows the love of God 
is not glad to feel that he can so use silver and gold, 
talents and time, as to help in filling heaven with those 
wh^ shall forevermore be his friends? 



VI. 

dfotmaltsm: or, Zbc (Tburcb's ffrlenMi^ 

"Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples, 
saying, The Scribes and the Tharisees sit in Moses' seat: 
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe 
and do ; but do not ye after their works : for they say, and do 
not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, 
and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will 
not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works 
they do for to be seen of men : they make broad their phylac- 
teries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the 
uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the syna- 
gogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, 
Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi : for one is your 
Master, even Christ ; and all ye are brethren. And call no 
man your father upon the earth : for one is your Father, 
which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters : for one is 
your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you 
shall be your servant." Matthew, 23 :!•!»• // 

OUR subject this evening is " Formalism : or, The 
Church's Friendly Foe." It is not my purpose 
to speak against "Form" but against "Formalism." 
There are some forms prescribed by the Sacred Word. 
And, although the greater part of these passed away 
with the Old Dispensation, being utterly displaced by 
the simplicities of the New Testament, still the religion 
of Jesus Christ was not absolutely without ceremony — 
every act of His life being in perfect accord with the 
Apostle's appeal "Let all things be done decently and 
in order." 

74 



THE CHURCH'S FRIENDLY FOE. 75 

Charles Spurgeon, speaking of the materialism of 
Christ's religion, says that it has its two ordinances, 
Baptism and the Lord's Supper ; it's services of God's 
house ; it's Sabbath day ; it's outward ritual of worship ; 
it's solemn songs ; it's sacred prayers ; and perhaps be- 
fore all, it's form of sound words to be held fast, as 
containing that creed which it is necessary for men to 
believe if they would hold the truth as it is in Jesus. 
Against all of these I have not a word. On the con- 
trary, I am proud to belong to that school of interpret- 
ers who insist upon strict obedience to the very letter 
of New Testament teaching. It does make a differ- 
ence whether one be baptized in the Biblical 
way, or whether he follow the way of Romish tradi- 
tion ; it does make a difference whether a man 
celebrate the Lord's Supper by the use of bread and 
the fruit of the grape, or whether he substitute cake 
and milk, instead. These ceremonies have their sym- 
bolisms, — teachings — which are utterly lost the moment 
we depart from the very letter of the Word. It does 
make a difference = whether you call Saturday or 
Sunday, the worship day of the church of Christ, see- 
ing that the latter was adopted by the Apostles of Jesus, 
and celebrated His resurrection from the dead. It 
does make a difference whether you do your wor- 
ship in silence, or with songs of praise, since the 
Apostle has called upon us to speak "in psalms and 
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody 
in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5 :ig. It does 
make a difference whether a service is orderly 
or represents confusion, since, as the Apostle says, "11 
therefore the whole church be come together into one 
[I place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in 



7& VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not 
say that ye are mad? * * * For God is not the 
author of confusion." i Corinthians 14:23, 33. 

I plead, therefore, not against "form" hut against 
"FormaHsm;" against form gone mad; against that 
scrupulous and critical observation of man-made rites, 
without which, some will not worship at all ; and I call 
it "the friendly Foe of the Church;" and believe that 
the claim can be substantiated. 

Three things let us consider tonight; The Foe 
in Formalism ; The Fruits of Formalism ; and How to 
be Saved from Formalism. 

THE FOE IN FORMALISM. 

The friendliness of this foe in no wise redeems its { 
character. You know how it grows up in churches. It 
takes to itself just a little at a time; it comes to us 
under the plea of lending aid to our work ; it proposes 
to adorn for us the house of God with pictures and 
statuary ; it proclaims itself a patron of the best music ; | 
it appeals to our pride by proposing to dress at least 1 
our priests and other functionaries of the church, in 
attractive garb ; it makes appeal to the people at large 
by saying, "We let you read in concert, and recite in 
concert, prayers ; and give you that much more promi- 
nence in the service ;" it proposes that we bow down 
and rise up at a certain time, and in a definite way, and 
thereby secure the Divine favor; it claims to be the 
embodiment of aesthetics, a term popular with this 
pleasure-loving age; and by this show of friendliness j 
it finds extensive favor. But when one comes to coa- 'j 
sider certain facts of its existence he unmasks it, and j 
finds himself face to face with one of the greatest foes 
against which the church has had to contend. 



THE CHURCH'S FRIENDLY FOE. 77 

And, first of all, it displaces essentials with ex- 
ternalities. Jesus said of the formalists of His time, 
the very Pharisees of our text, "All their works they 
do for to be seen of men. They make broad their 
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their gar- 
ments." Those two appointments of the Pharisee's 
dress appealed to the eyes — one of them worn on the 
forehead, an insignia of sacred office ; and the other 
increasing the white of the loose robe or blanket, worn 
by the Pharisees, to signify to the public how clean 
their characters were. 

Those customs of the old Jewish church are prac- 
tically repeated in some of the Protestant, and in all 
of the Catholic churches, of the present day. What 
else is the meaning of a string of beads about the neck ; 
the significance of the cross hanging over the heart; 
the suggestive flowing robes employed by the priests 
and preachers of "uppish churches ;" the genuflections 
of their congregations? God forbid that I should 
speak a word against conventional propriety, except 
it come to pass, as it does, that it prove itself opposed 
to the real progress of the church of God ; and I agree 
with Dr. Joseph Parker, that in many a place "con- 
ventional propriety is killing the church." It is not 
the blatant scoffing of an IngersoU that harms this holy 
institution; but rather the smooth ceremonialist, who 
despises essentials, but delights in externalities; who 
is far more concerned with whether the preacher wear 
the prescribed robe, than that he be clad with the robe 
of righteousness. 

Paul prophesied a day when men should become 
"lovers of their own selves" * * * "when, having 
a form of Godliness they will deny the power thereof," 
and pleads, "From such turn away." 



78 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

Ceremonialism discredits Christ as the only Savior. 
Men who make much of it, come to-triist in it for their 
redemption; churches that take to that kind of thing, 
come eventually to teach that redemption is through 
traditions. The sacraments take, with such, the place 
of the Son of God ; penitence has to give way to pen- 
ance ; and a Savior's forgiveness of sin, to the sale of 
indulgences therein. Even hell is to be emptied, not 
by the mercy of the loving Master, but by the price 
demanded by the priest for praying the people out of 
purgatory. You know the history that has been made 
in these matters. You recall how Tetzel enriched the 
coffers of Romanism by permitting the people to pay 
for the privilege of sinning, and at the same time gave 
rise to the Reformation. He not only taught that 
''Murder could be pardoned for a certain consideration, 
and that incest and every other crime had its price" but, 
as Dr. Archibald says, invented a purgatory to increase 
the revenues, and going about with pictures, repre- 
senting people writhing in the flames, called upon the 
faithful of that dark age in these words, ''Harken to 
your departed parents who cry to you from the bottom- 
less abyss, 'we are enduring horrible torments, and a 
small alms would deliver us. You could give it and 
you will not.'" Silver then was made a Savior of souls, 
only needing to be coupled with a certain ceremony of 
prayer by a stained priest to make the redemption sure. 

Froude relates a story of a man who got the bet- 
ter of the priest in this passage. He put a shilling into 
the plate and then enquired, "Father, is my friend's 
soul out?" *'Yes," repHed the priest. "Quite sure?" 
was the further inquiry. "There is not a doubt," said 
the priest, "he now enjoys a happy deliverance." 



THE CHURCH'S FRIENDLY FOE. 79 

"Glad to hear it," answered the man, "if he is out, they 
will not put him in again, and that is a bad shilling." 

But there is no silver, good or bad; no ceremony, 
secular or sacred, that can save a soul. Paul taught 
this truth long ago, wlien to the Philippians, he wrote, 
"Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If 
any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might 
trust in the flesh, I more : Circumcised the eighth day, 
of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a 
Hebrew of the Hebrews ; as touching the law, a Phari- 
see ; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church ; touching 
the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But 
what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for 
Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss 
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus 
my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all 
things and do count them but refuse, that I may win 
Christ; and be found in him, not having mine own 
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is 
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is 
of God by faith : that I may know him, and the 
power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his 
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death : 
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection 
of the dead." Philippians 3 :4-ii. 

It dispenses with the leadings of the Spirit. How 
can the Holy Ghost govern in the life of the church 
if men plan its entire performance and insist upon the 
carrying out of their own programs. Dr. Broadus, 
in his volume "The Preparation and Delivery of Ser- 
mons" objects to the custom of writing sermons in 
full, and delivering them memoritor, on the ground that 
it gives the Holy Ghost too little opportunity to con- 



80 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

trol in one's thought and speech while speaking — an 
argument which has never appealed to me as sound, 
since the Holy Ghost can as easily instruct me on 
Saturday what I ought to think and what I ought to 
say, as he can on Sunday. But if somebody fixed up 
for me a formula of a sermon, and insisted that I 
should follow that every Sabbath, then the Holy Ghost 
could be but poorly honored through my thought or 
speech. And it is so in the services of God's house. 
I used to read articles on "How to Conduct a Success- 
ful Prayer Meeting," and then, in my wanderings, I 
have gone into these churches whose pastors have made 
contributions to prayer-meeting- literature, and found 
a few folk, feebly singing a hymn that had been duly 
announced, and "played through," before the first note 
was sung ; and two or three of the brethren, after being 
called upon by the pastor, would make talks, extensive 
enough; and yet, between speakers, there would be 
pauses that left one wondering if he had been trans- 
ported and the seventh seal was being opened, and as 
it was written "There was silence in heaven about the 
space of a half hour." 

And much of this comes from mechanics ; 
hymns are selected in advance ; Scripture passages are 
to be read by certain individuals to keep the meeting 
going; certain intellectual brethren are primed for the 
presentation of some subject; then, in the interim, 
others are called by name, and thus with a single 
stroke, they are honored and the hour is filled up. 
More and more am I profoundly impressed with the 
fact that it is not my right even to do these things. 
God's Spirit knows who ought to speak, and can teach 
them in that same hour, what they ought to say. He 



THE CHURCH'S FRIENDLY FOE. 81 

also knows what songs ought to be sung, and can 
move the hearts of praise through them. He is no re- 
specter of persons and perhaps would prefer to hear 
a word from the newest born, even as a father finds 
great delight in the prattle of the little child. I want 
to testify that since the day, some seven or eight years 
ago, when I saw that formalism was a foe to the 
church, and to give it any place in the prayer-meeting 
was to dispense with the Spirit's administration, I 
have seen the best prayer meetings of my ministry. 
Ah, surely, "when He is come He will take of the 
things of Christ and show them unto you." 

THE FRUITS OF FORMALISM. 

Three of these at least are distinctly set forth in the 
Scripture read. 

Hypocris'\^ is its first effect. Of these Pharisees 
Jesus said, "Do not ye after their works, for they say 
and do not." Hypocrisy ! Again, "All their works 
they do for to be seen of men." Hypocrisy ! And yet 
again, "They devour widows' houses and for a pre- 
tence make long prayers." Hypocrisy ! No wonder 
we hear Him saying, "Woe unto you Scribes and Phar- 
isees, hypocrites ! for you make clean the outside of the 
cup and of the platter, but within they are full of ex- 
tortion and excess." And we have already seen that 
formalism has to do with the outside, and it is a fact, 
often, that the more men put on the outside the less 
they have on the inside. Carefulness about forms has 
commonly gone along with the rejection of Jesus, and 
a consequent deficiency of character. There are men 
in this town who would not touch any other kind of 
meat on Friday than fish, but who don't hesitate to go 
straight from the fish dinner to the accursed saloon ; 



82 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

those who keep lent with punctilious strictness, but 
who loose the feet and flesh the moment the town clock 
strikes its last hour — giving thereby, some occasion to 
Jesus' words, "Well hath Esaias prophesied of you 
hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me 
with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Mark 

7:6. 

And all of this hypocrisy is not in High Churches. 
There is not a little of it in those of us who are a plainer 
people. The man who can stand up and make a fair 
profession on the Sunday, and live like the Devil all 
the week, is illustrating one of the fruits of formalism ; 
and surely his hypocrisy is none the less grievous be- 
cause he belongs to the Congregational, Presbyterian, 
Methodist or Baptist church of God. 

Arfogance is the second result. Formalists are al- 
ways tending toward imperialism. As Christ said, 
"They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, 
and lay them on men's shoulders ; but they themselves 
will not move them with one of their fingers." It does 
not take the formalist long to be claiming certain 
favors for himself, — the uppermost rooms at feasts, 
fpr instance ; "the chief seats in the synagogue ;" the 
bowings down of his less favored fellows, called by 
Christ, "greetings in the market." In order to insure 
this he commonly dresses himself in such a way that 
you need make no mistake when you meet him. 

M. Capefigue, is reported as saying of church of- 
ficials, "The bishops, priests, and deacons were no 
longer dressed in the simple garment of linen or coarse 
stuff which belonged to the epoch of persecution and 
martyrdom ; they were clothed as the magistrates of 
Greece, and the satraps of Syria and Persia. The 



THE CHURCH'S FRIENDLY FOE. 83 

bishop bore on his head the mitre adorned with precious 
stones ; in his hand he grasped the pastoral staff in 
the form of a scepter; his finger was ornamented by 
an amythyst of large size.," etc., etc., etc. 

It is serious business to tell a man, dressed like that, 
plain truth. If one wants to know how serious let him 
go back to, and study the history of, the martyrs of 
the Middle Ages ; and while formalists no longer shed 
the blood of dissenters, formalism has not changed its 
spirit, and today arrogance is its pre-eminent trait. 
In the judgment of a formalist, ordinary fellows ought 
to fall at his feet, and if they don't do it he is ready 
to excummunicate them. It was to this very com- 
pany, and touching this very spirit, that Peter writes, 
"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am 
also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, 
and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. 
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the 
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly : not 
for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; Neither as being 
lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the 
flock/' I Peter 5:1-3. 

Formalism finds expression also in exclusiveness. 
In this same wonderful passage Jesus said these men 
loved to be called "Rabbi" or teacher ; they wanted you 
to recognize them as "master;" in every way they 
wanted you to feel the distance between your humility 
and their exaltation. 

I had a young woman in my church marry an 
Episcopal man. The young fellow had often attended 
our services and was my friend. He and his bride- 
elect invited the Rector of the neighboring church to 
share the honors of the hour with the Dissenter. He 



84 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

said he would like to do it but he could not bring him- 
self to participate in a sacred service like that with a 
man who would not wear a gown. But, do you know, 
Baptists are not free at this point. I have had dear 
Baptist people tell me that when I went into the pulpit 
in a short coat to preach, the whole service was spoiled 
for them. Now I don't object to people's admiring a 
Prince Albert coat ; the facts is I think it is rather pret- 
ty myself. But somehow I have never been able to see 
what it had to do with my being a preacher ; nor am I 
able to understand why a sermon spoken over a red 
tie might not turn people to God, quite as readily as 
though it passed the black or white sentinel. And I 
have found that when forms are put aside by a man, 
you find a friend of the people, one who believes that 
the church of God ought to cut the social loaf from 
top to bottom ; one who is not himself cut off from 
sweet fellowship with his plain brethern by a two-story 
collar. I do not know how you may regard it, but 
to me the antithesis of Christianity is exclusiveness. 
That old Pharisee who drew his robes about him and 
went his way in mortal fear lest he touch the crowd 
and become contaminated, was the most contemptible 
exposition of religion that Judaism knew. And the 
pity is that his progeny has ever been imposed upon the 
Christian church. Away with phylacteries! out with 
extended borders for gowns ! and curses be on your 
exclusiveness, since in Christ Jesus "there is neither 
Jew nor Greek : Neither bond nor free, there is neither 
male nor female ; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." 
Galatians 3 128. 

And now for the last and the best suggestion of our 
text. 



THE CHURCirS FRIENDLY FOE. 85 

SALVATION FROM FORMALISM. 

Here is the first step for the man afflicted by this 
foe — 

Refuse such titles as separate you from ^ouf breth- 
ren. ''Be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your Master, 
even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Refuse also to 
give these titles to others, "call no man your father 
which is upon the earth, for one is your father which is 
in heaven." This business of sitting in Moses' seat, 
through terms and titles, must be ceased from if one 
is saved from ceremonialism. Think of any man be- 
ing willing to wear the title of Pope ! For my own 
part I have no use for that of Bishop, save when it is 
employed in the New Testament sense ; for that of 
Priest, Presiding elder; Doctor; and Reverend. The 
Lord save us from this last ! "Holy and reverend is 
His name." What business have we assuming that 
title or even permitting it.^^ You will pardon the 
phrase, I know it is not elegant, but I want now to be 
expressive. It makes me "tired" to be called Reverend. 
And sometimes I wish when I married I had 
changed my name because Rev. Riley seems to slip 
from the tongue so easily. I honestly believe that its 
employment, as a title for man, is one of the greatest 
pieces of irreverence; and I am shocked that certain 
ministers who are rather common-place men, intei-- 
lectually and morally, are not quite content to have so 
humble a title do them honor, and so they sign them- 
selves "The Right Reverend E. King, D. D., Lord 
Bishop of Lincoln," if you please; or "The Rt. Rev. 
W. Alexander, D. D., Lord Bishop of Derry ;" or "The 
Rt. Rev. W. Boyd Carpenter, D. D., Lord Bishop 
of Ripon." And, so far as I know the majority of 



86 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

these "Right Reverends" and ''Lord Bishops" are 
about the last people you would want to give audience. I 
am in perfect sympathy with EHzabeth Stewart Phelps 
when, in "A Singular Life" she describes a stranger 
in Angel Alley, Windover, halting before a door, over 
which was written, "The Church of the Love of 
Christ." "What goes on here?" he asked of a by- 
stander. "Better things than ever went on here be- 
fore," was the reply. "They've got a man up there. 
He ain't no dummy in a minister's choker." The 
stranger put another question. "Well," came the 
cordial answer, "He has several names in Angel 
Alley : 'fisherman's friend' is one of the most pop'lar. 
Some calls him 'the gospel cap'n.' There's those that 
prefers jest to say, 'the new minister.' There's one 
name he don't go by very often, and that's 'the Rever- 
end Bayard.' " 

Henryk Seinkiewicz in "Quo Vadis" gives this 
picture of the Apostle Peter, as Vinicius saw him, at 
the time when Christianity was spreading through the 
entire Roman Empire. He says, "The old man had 
no mitre on his head, no garland of oak-leaves on his 
temples, no palm in his hand, no golden tablet on his 
breast, he wore no white robe embroidered with stars ; 
in a word, he bore no insignia of the kind worn by 
priests — Oriental, Egyptian, or Greek — or by Roman 
flamens. And Vinicius was struck by that same dif- 
ference again which he felt when listening to the Chris- 
tian hymns ; for that "fisherman," too, seemed to him, 
not like some high priest skilled in ceremonial, but as 
it were a witness, simple, aged, and immensely vener- 
able, who had journeyed from afar to relate a truth 
which he had seen, which he had touched, which he 



THE CHURCirS FRIENDLY FOE. 87 

believed as he believed in existence, and he had come to 
love this truth precisely because he believed it. There 
was in his face, therefore, such a power of convincing 
as truth itself has." "Call him Pope— Peter?" It took 
some hundreds of years to accomplish that degradation. 
Call him "Dr. Peter?" who ever dared! Call him 
"Lord Bishop Peter," not unless you want to be sar- 
castic ! Call him "Reverend Peter !" No, this is what 
they called him. "There he is, The disciple of Christ ; 
the fisherman;" and that was sufficient. Since, as we 
saw, he needed no titles ; his character spake for itself, 
and when his lips parted he proved his ability far bet- 
ter than a college degree could ever have done. I have 
the same objection to these titles that I have to coat- 
tails, robes, and collars. They separate Christ's man 
from the common people and smell of ceremonialism. 

Our text suggests a second step toward salvation 
from formalism. 

Exercise humility of spirit. "He that is greatest 
among you shall be your servant." "He that shall hum- 
ble himself shall be exalted." To the Romans Paul 
wrote, "I say, through the grace given unto me, to 
every man that is among you not to think of himself 
more highly than he ought to think." Isaiah regarded 
himself a sinner and rejoiced in that invitation from the 
Lord, "Come now and let us reason together. Though 
your sins be as scarlet they will be as white as snow ; 
and though they be red like crimson, they shall become 
as wool." David had no high notions of his holiness, 
but cried rather, "Have mercy upon me Oh, God, ac- 
cording to thy loving kindness. According unto the 
multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgres- 
sions ; wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and 



88 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

cleanse me from my sins. For I acknowledge my 
transgression and m}^ sin is ever before me." Psalm 

51:1-3- 

When Tauler, the father of modern mystics, was 
fifty years of age, he read this 51st Psalm, and saw 
himself in the picture; and so humiliated was he by 
his sense of sin, that for "two whole years his lips were 
sealed in shame." A writer says, "Even the mercy 
of God, which he had preached so freely to others, he 
felt too wicked and too unworthy to claim for him- 
self." And yet God granted him His mercy just be- 
cause of his humility. You remember Jesus Christ 
once spake a parable to this point "Two men went up 
into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the 
other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus 
with himself, God I thank thee, that I am not as other 
men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as 
this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes 
of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar 
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, 
but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to 
me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his 
house justified rather than the other ; for every one that 
exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that humbleth 
himself shall be exalted." Luke 18:10-14. 

Finally, 

Turn from all ceremonies to the Son of God. "One 
is your Master, even Christ." With Paul, have no con- 
fidence in the flesh. Count your birth in a Christian 
home, your confirmation at twelve or fourteen, your 
aspersion, your participation in the Lord's Supper, 
your answers to the questions of the catechism, your 
church attendance, even your very prayers but lost, that 



THE CHURCH'S FRIENDLY FOE. 89 

you "may win Christ and be found in Him, not hav- 
ing your own righteousness which is of the law; but 
that which is through the faith of Christ," When He 
was hanging on the cross, He cried "It is finished," 
and referred not so much to His Ufe, as to your salva- 
tion, which was then and there perfected, and which 
now by His death is proffered to all those who put 
their trust in Him. "Neither is there salvation in any 
other." How many of you have read the story of John 
Maynard, the pilot on our northern lake, whose vessel 
was destroyed with fire. When the flames were dis- 
covered they were already too far along for the ves- 
sel to escape destruction, and the winds were fanning 
them into a fury ; and the red tongues were licking the 
windows of the pilot house, when the frightened peo- 
ple found that the vessel was headed shoreward, and 
evidently a firm hand was still on the helm. The cap- 
tain shouted through his trumpet, "John Maynard." 
"Aye, aye, sir." "Can you hold on?" "I'll try, sir." 
A few minutes more and the same question was asked. 
And out from the smoke and flame John's voice an- 
swered "I'll try, sir!" Even then his right hand was 
burned to a crisp. But when he took it off from the 
wheel he laid on his left to be burned. John Maynard 
beached that vessel, and every soul on board was saved 
except his own which, just as the steamer touched 
shore, ascended to God in a chariot of fire. 

What would you think of those travelers had they 
not escaped that burning vessel, when, through the 
sacrifice of Maynard's life, salvation was made possi- 
ble? What would you say of their appreciation of his 
noble work had they treated that shore with indiffer- 
ence ; and on a burning deck sat leisurely down to be 



90 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

Strangled by the smoke or consumed of the flame ? No 
greater act of ingratitude could they have shown to 
Maynard's sacred memory, and no greater contempt 
for life itself, than would have been exhibited in such 
conduct. And, tonight, seeing that Jesus Christ has 
made possible your salvation and mine from the furi- 
ous storm of false teaching; your salvation and mine 
from the consuming flames of coming judgment: has, 
by putting out His hands to be spiked, and exposing 
his heart to be speared, beached the boat of human 
destiny, and made it possible for every man, woman 
and child to step out on the sure ground of His sol- 
emn oaths and promises to be safe forever! What 
shall we say of his ingratitude, who refuses it, or of 
his indifference to life who prefers to perish? 



VII. 



Supernaturaltsm: or, Ube /IDiracle Undent 
anb /iDobern* 

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, 
and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on 
him." John 2:11. 

THE Christian world has fully consented to the 
authenticity of this miracle, and does not call 
into question the record of the many marvels of 
Christ's ministry which succeeded this one-wrought in 
"Cana of Galilee." But, strange to say, that same 
Christian world "is divided against itself" on the sub- 
ject of the modern miracle. The creeds of most of the 
greater denominations are silent touching the issues 
of this controversy. Atheists, Naturalists, Rationalists, 
Formalists, and kindred folk have so violently and 
assiduously assaulted the miracle itself, and spoken 
with such rage against the thought of a modern mir- 
acle, that they have made timid men afraid to talk on 
this subject lest they should seem to fly in the face of 
Philosophy "or Science, or both ; and coerced from too 
many Christian men, the humiUating concession con- 
cerning the Lazarus at the gate "thy bruise is incur- 
able ; thy wound is grievous ; there is none to plead thy 
cause that thou may'st be bound up." Is such a con- 
cession to the power of the Adversary necessary? 
What saith the Word? The true prophet's part was 

91 



92 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

voiced to Samuel by the aged Eli — "What is the thing 
that the Lord has said unto thee? I pray thee hide it 
not from me. God do so to thee and more also, if thou 
hide anything * * * Qf ^jj ^]^g things that He 
hath said unto thee." If men are to be saved from the 
vagaries and fanaticisms which are more and more 
multiplying on every side, it must be through the faith- 
ful ministry of the Word. Every subject of contro- 
versy must be brought to it for settlement; and the 
honest inquirer will ask but one question — "What 
saith the Scripture?" 

Now to the text: "This beginning of miracles did 
Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his 
glory, and his disciples beHeved on him." 

This text marvelously compasses what I want to 
say this morning on Supernaturalism, or. The Miracle 
Ancient and Modern. Following its plain suggestions 
I call your attention to The Miracle Performed ; The 
Miracle Promised; and. The Purpose of the Miracle. 

THE MIRACLE PERFORMED. 

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of 
Galilee." 

The question asked by every student of this sub- 
ject is, "What is a miracle?" It is a question not so 
easily answered. In fact the very difficulty of defining 
a miracle has been made the ground of its denial, alike 
by skeptics and ecclesiastical scribes. And yet, as Dr. 
Lorimer has said, "The Gospels have taught that mir- 
acles are astonishing and expressive effects of which 
the Divine energy is the direct and all-sufficient cause." 
Whether that definition be accepted or no, the ques-i 
tion of miracles is not to be evaded. What men want! 

i 

I 
I 



THE MIRACLE ANCIENT AND MODERN. 93 

to know is this, whether what Jesus did at Cana of 
Galilee, in turning water into wine ; at Jericho, in open- 
ing the eyes of the blind ; at the bier of the Nain wid- 
ow's son, and again at Lazarus' tomb, in raising the 
dead, are works so wonderful that God's power alone 
accounts for them ? If so, it is all one with us whether 
you speak of them as "miracles," "signs," "wonders," 
or "powers." The act is defined not so much by words 
as by the conceded presence and power of God. 

Edward Gilpin Johnson, in his introduction to 
"Reynold's Discourses" says of beauty, "Beauty an- 
alyzed is beauty slain, and it is after all, wiser to rest 
satisfied with inhaling the fragrance of the flower of 
art and enjoying its perfections, than to pull it to 
pieces, count the petals and stamens, and resolve the 
perfume into an essence scientifically procurable from 
wayside seeds." The ninth chapter of John presents a 
perfect illustration of our thought : A man blind from 
his birth had received his sight at the word of the Lord. 
Being brought unto the Pharisees they asked him "how 
he had received his sight? And yet again they said 
unto him, "What did he to thee? How opened he 
thine eyes?" thereby taking the advantage of dispu- 
tants who would evade facts by entrenching them- 
selves behind the difficulties of a definition. The an- 
swer of that man includes one of the best definitions 
of a miracle possible — "One thing I know, that where- 
as I was blind now I see." And again, "If this man 
were not of God he could do nothing." A miracle is 
some astonishing expression of God's might. 

''This beginning, of miracles did Jesus." Water 
was turned into wine by the fiat of His own will. For 
Him to mentally command it was sufficient — since "all 



94 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

things are possible with God." It is only the millionth 
man who rises to any proper conception of the Divine 
majesty and power. Whenever you meet such a man, 
his faith makes his name immortal. Witness the Cen- 
turion,- who at Capernaum, "came beseeching Christ, 
saying. Lord my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy 
and grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, 
I will come and heal him. The Centurion answered 
and said: Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst 
come under my roof, but speak the word only and my 
servant shall be healed. * * * When Jesus heard 
that He marveled, and said to them that followed, 
"Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, 
no, not in Israel." And yet, why should a man who 
believes in God, exercise less confidence in His power ? 
It is a strange freak of the intellect, to say the least, 
to consent to Hebrews 11:3 "By faith we understand 
that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, 
so that what is seen hath not been made out of things 
which do not appear." (R. V.), and in the next breath 
call into question whether He, who spake the universe 
into existence, can quicken the palsied, cleanse the 
leper, or raise the dead with a word. O. M. Mitchel, 
in his "Planetary and Solar World" says, of the rings 
of Saturn, "It is beyond our power to conceive how 
this could be accomplished by any law of which we 
have any knowledge, and we must refer their struc- 
ture, at once, to the fiat of Omnipotence." The rings 
of Saturn are stubborn facts ; and why should the Sci- 
entist, who has no possible explanation of their exist- 
ence and relations, object to Mitchel's believing dispo- 
sition of them. 

Robert Buchanan says justly, concerning the effort 



THE MIRACLE ANCIENT AND MODERN. 95 

of men to reject the miracle and keep the Master, "We 
may follow Mr. Matthew Arnold in his piti:^ul feats 
of literary Jesuitry, and put all the miraculous busi- 
ness aside, in order to throw one last straw of hope 
to the sinking Church of England. We may putter 
and quibble about "poetry" and "essential" religion 
just as much or as little as we please; but with the 
loss of the supernatural pretension, perishes the whole 
fabric of organized Christianity." 

The opinion of Strauss, Baur, Newman and others 
that a miracle "is unnatural and hence impossible" can 
carry but little weight with clear thinking men, and 
still less with Christian believers. The supernatural 
is in no sense the unnatural. It would be difficult to 
show that the miracles of the Master were not, every 
one, a replacement of some dethroned power to its. 
natural position. It is possible for the electric current 
that drives the street car to be reversed and turn the 
wheels backward. Will the Scientist who witnesses, 
this operation claim an unnatural action when the 
operator so manipulates the current as to drive his car 
forward again? What else is sickness than a reversal 
of all the natural levers of physical life; a backward 
revolution of the organs of nature? What else was 
Christ's healing than turning again the currents of 
health into their appointed channels? In some sec- 
tions of China women's feet are bound, and that cus- 
tom prevails so extensively that many a girl grows up 
feeling it must be so. And yet, is it unnatural when 
Christian teaching takes the bandages from the toes, 
and the feet of a Chinese woman attain their divinely 
appointed proportions? What else is paralysis and 
blindness than a binding of the feet and a blinding of 



96 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

the eyes by the Adversary ? And what else is the word 
of Jesus "Arise, take up thy bed and walk ;" "Receive 
thy sight" than a tearing away of the same that Nature 
may reassert herself? Who can prove that death is 
natural ? Why then should these devotees of so-called 
Law object, and count it "a thing incredible that God 
should raise the dead ?" I believe that the resurrection 
of the body from the grave is as much in keeping with 
the eternal laws of God, as is the coming of the beau- 
tiful chrysalis out of the silken bag in which last sea- 
son's caterpillar perished. Christian men and women 
cannot afford to forget, either, that the miracle is pos- 
sible, or else "the new heavens and the new earth" 
promised in the Revelation, are a mirage never to be 
realized, and believers are, as the Apostle Paul put it, 
"of all men most miserable," since their "faith is in 
vain." 

THE MIRACLE PROMISED. 

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of 
Galilee." 

The water made wine was only the -first in a series 
of wonderful ziforks. It was only the beginning of 
Christ's miracles. The very phrase employed is a 
promise of marvels to follow. To turn water into wine 
was wonderful; but greater things should they see, 
who walk with the Son of God. Tomorrow He will 
heal the Nobleman's son ; the next day He will still the 
tempest ; shortly the Demoniacs of Gadara shall be dis- 
possessed ; Jairus' daughter raised ; the paralytic fresh- f 
ly empowered ; the leper cleansed ; the Centurion's ' 
servant healed ; Simon's wife's mother recovered from 
her fever; the widow's son raised from the dead, etc. 'i 
etc. How many miracles Jesus wrought no man 



THE MIRACLE ANCIENT AND MODERN. 97 

knows. In addition to the thirty odd, detailed, there 
are those sweeping sentences "And He healed all that 
were sick, and oppressed of the devil." Men, anxious 
to obscure the miracle, are wont to insist that Jesus 
gave Himself mostly to wonderful words. But any 
fair student of the Word of God must know that 
wonderful works claim at least half of this Divine rec- 
ord, and probably played no less conspicuous part in 
the life-labors of the Son of Man. True, the oppo- 
nents of Jesus said, "Never man spake like this man," 
but the language of Nicodemus is equally suggestive: 
"Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from 
God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest 
except God be with him." 

The words mid works of Jesus were alike, only be- 
ginnings. The miracle at Cana of Galilee was only a 
beginning of what Jesus would do in His earthly 
career. The miracles of three years and a half of pub- 
lic ministry were only a beginning of what Jesus would 
do in His office as Mediator between God and man. 
Students of the Word have been profoundly impressed 
by the opening sentence of Acts, "The former treatise 
have I made, oh Theophilus, of all that Jesus began 
-both to do and teach." Certainly it never entered the 
mind of the Master that either His matchless words or 
His marvelous works would end at Calvary. For three 
years and a half He had made one of the chief objects 
of His ministry successors in labor. When His disci- 
ples were sorrowing at the shadow of the cross He 
comforted them by saying "Let not your heart be 
troubled, ye believe in God believe also in me * * * 
* He that beUeveth on me the works that I do shall 
he do also, and greater works than these shall he do 



98 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

because I go unto my Father." If any man say that 
the works to be done by His apostles and disciples did 
not include miracles, it is sufficient to answer, "How 
readest thou?" Hear His commission to the twelve 
"As ye go preach, saying The kingdom of heaven is at 
hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, 
cast out devils. Freely ye have received, freely give." 
And if any man say, "Yes, but this commission was 
given only to a select company," ye answer, "If so the 
same cannot be asserted concerning the promise of 
power," for lo these words conclude one of the Gos- 
pels, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel 
to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved. All these signs shall follow them that 
beHeve; in my name they shall cast out devils, they 
shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up ser- 
pents, if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt 
them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall 
recover." Was James prescribing for apostles only, 
or for the period in which he lived, when he wrote 
"Is any among you sick ? Let him call for the elders 
of the church ; and let them pray over him, annointing 
him with oil in the name of the Lord ; and the prayer 
of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall 
raise him up?" Were Justin Martyr, Ireneaus, Tertul- 
lian, Origen, and Clement false in their claims of mir- 
acles in answer to prayer ? Were those godly men and 
women of the middle ages, who kept the fires of a true 
faith smouldering when an apostate church smothered 
Inspiration itself, mistaken in supposing that these 
commissions were theirs, and their associated prom- 
ises still potent ? Was Bishop Simpson deceived when, 
in the fall of 1858, while at death's door, he mingled 



THE MIRACLE ANCIENT AND MODERN. 99 

his voice with that of Bishop Bowman, Wm. Taylor, 
and others, asking to be recovered, and there came a 
change so sudden that the physician xalled it "a mir- 
acle" — in that he attributed it to the promise and 
power of God? When, a short time ago, our own 
Baptist pastor, C. H. Holden, of Detroit, Mich., who 
for months had lain in bed, suffering intense agony 
with an injured limb, was recovered while Mr. Bar- 
low, his assistant, and other believers were praying 
for him, was he guilty of a superstition in believing in a 
modern miracle? Three years ago this summer at 
Northfield, Mass., I met that marvelous woman Mrs. 
Whittemore, whose fame is in all the churches, and 
she told me how she had gone on her knees a blind 
woman, and had come up from them seeing clearly. 
Was she mistaken in attributing the change to the 
Christ of this morning's text, of whose ministry it 
was said, ''The blind receive their sight?" To come 
nearer home, who is it that having known the long 
years of suffering on the part of our citizen-sister Miss 
Hollister and the sudden health that came while pray- 
ing, but is led to join with the rulers in saying, ''That 
indeed a notable miracle hath been done is manifest, 
and we cannot deny it." God forbid that any should 
add "but that it spread no further among the people 
let us straightly threaten her that she speak no further 
in this name." 

There are those who argue that if miracles were 
meant to characterize all ages they would not have 
been so common in the ministry of Jesus and so ex- 
ceptional among His modern followers. Dr. Gordon 
tells us of certain South African rivers, which instead 
of beginning as tiny brooks and flowing on deepening 

ILofQ, 



100 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

and widening as they go, burst out from prolific 
springs, and then become shallower and shallower as 
they go on, until they are lost in the wastes of sand. 
It cannot be forgotten that the stream of salvation 
which began with the ministry of our Lord was at its 
fullest in the first century, so far at least as conquest 
against greatest odds was concerned. Why then 
should we be surprised if the Son of God Himself, who 
had the Spirit without measure, should witness the 
miraculous more often than appears now on fields 
made too nearly desert by the burning sun of secular- 
ism and the devastating winds of skepticism? And 
yet, the failure of present-day believers to appropriate 
the promises of God no more discredits the Divine pur- 
pose in making them than did the discomforture of the 
disciples, praying in vain for the relief of the epilep- 
tic, prove that Christ had put into His commission to 
the twelve, words which were mischievous and mis- 
leading. 

THE miracle's PURPOSE. 

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of 
Galilee, and manifested forth His glory. And His dis- 
ciples believed on Him." 

// evidenced the deity of Jesus. You will remem- 
ber that when He performed the miracle of the barley 
loaves and fishes the men who saw the miracle that 
Jesus did, said, "This is of a truth that prophet that 
should come into the world." Jno. 6:14. It was a 
natural reasoning! Jesus himself appealed to the 
Jews "If I do not the works of my Father beHeve me 
not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the 
works, that ye may know and believe that the Father 
is in me and I in Him." Jno. 10:37-38. To John 






THE MIRACLE ANCIENT AND MODERN. 101 

the Baptist's question, "Art thou He that should 
come?" Jesus answered and said unto them "Go and 
shew John again those things which ye do hear and 
see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, 
the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead 
are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached 
to them." Matt, ii 4-5. 

It expressed the sympathy of Jesus. It is the cus- 
tom of all those who call the modern miracle into ques- 
tion to emphasize the fact that miracles attested the 
deity of Jesus, and added authority or weight to His 
words ; but the most of them are silent touching the 
fact that miracles were ever wrought for their own 
sake ; that miracles were ever wrought because the 
sight of suffering or distress so appealed to the Son 
of God that He could no more withhold his beneficent 
power than He could restrain Himself from tender 
pity. The glory of Jesus Christ consisted not alone 
in exhibitions of His deity but was equally manifested 
in the ebulitions of His humanity. At the grave of 
Lazarus He "wept." No man need be surprised there- 
fore when He cried to his friend, fallen under the fierce 
assault of the last enemy — "Come forth." He who will 
may believe that that miracle was meant only to at- 
test the divinity of Jesus, or add weight to His spoken 
words, but I am compelled to think that it v/as the cry 
of His humane heart calling back to His arms His 
bosom friend, and causing the hearts of those beauti- 
ful sisters — Mary and Martha— to lose their sorrow 
and leap for joy. Victor Hugo makes Jean Val Jean 
as watchful as the hunted ever are against possible 
detection on the part of his adversary; but when a 
driver's wagon is mired, this same man crawls be- 



102 VAGARIES AND VBRITIES. 

neath it, and by his Herculean strength, releases its 
wheels, and in the very process publishes his own name. 
Did Jean Val Jean lift that wagon to exhibit his power ? 
Never! but because his tender human heart could not 
"pass by on the other side," seeing the distress of the 
stalled man! The Samaritan who ministered to the 
man on the way to Jericho, binding up his wounds, 
carrying him to an inn, paying his bills, providing 
against the future — did he do that that Samaria might 
have a good name, or that anybody might believe in 
him ? Nay, verily, but because in his breast there beat 
the heart of a brother. And, if I know the Christ at 
all. He healed sick men, opened the eyes of the blind, 
and raised the dead, primarily because His heart was 
as humane as His character was Divine ; His Spirit as 
compassionate as His Word was potent. Is it not 
written "And Jesus went forth and saw a great mul- 
titude, and was moved with compassion toward them, 
and He healed their sick." Matt. 14:14. No wonder 
John wrote, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt 
among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of 
the only begotten of the Father, full of grace." And 
that glory was never better manifested than in the mir- 
acles that Jesus wrought for the help, health and hap- 
piness of men. It is while studying this side of His 
character we realize that 'our High Priest can be 
touched with the feeling of our infirmities,' and are en- 
couraged to 'come boldly to the throne of grace, that 
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time 
of need.' 

It attested the saving power of Jesus. To do that 
was to manifest forth his glory. "The Son of Man 
was come to seek and to save that which was lost" ; to 



THE MIRACLE ANCIENT AND MODERN. 103 

grant "remission of sins." They called his name Jesus 
'because He was to save His people from their sins.' 
When he said to the paralytic, ''Thy sins be forgiven 
thee" they charged Him with blasphemy, saying, "Who 
can forgive sins but God?" "And Jesus knowing their 
thoughts said. Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts ? 
For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven 
thee; or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may 
know that the Son of man hath power on earth to for- 
give sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) 
Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And 
he arose, and departed to his house." The Father 
which sent Him, therein bore witness to Him, "Con- 
firming the word with signs following" and proving 
the power to forgive sins by the fact that he could re- 
store bodies. It is no wonder the sentence follows, 
"And his disciples believed on him." God meant that 
men should be convinced through the senses ; that they 
should accept what they had seen and heard. When 
John comes to write his first epistle he lays claim to 
attention on the part of his readers by reason of the 
fact that he was speaking of the things which he had 
seen with his eyes, and heard with his ears, and handled 
of the Word ot Ufe. And if the miracle was potent 
for penitence and furnished the very basis of belief 
two thousand years ago, who doubts that the revival of 
the Word's plain teaching concerning it, and the prac- 
j tice of claiming its promises, would compel men to 
cry out again as did Peter, "We are unclean" and to 
seek His favor who is alike able to say, "Arise, take 
up thy bed and walk," or "Son, thy sins are forgiven 
thee." Have we forgotten the remark which the many, 
who resorted to Him beyond Jordan, made ? "John did 



104 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

no miracle, but all things that John spake of this man 
were true and they believed on him there." John 
10:41-42. Have we forgotten the result when he 
raised to life the widow's son and delivered him to 
his mother? ''There came a fear on all and they glori- 
fied God saying: A great prophet is risen up among 
us, and God hath visited His people." 

It is true that every great revival of the past 
has come in consequence of the recovery of some 
long lost truth. "The just shall live by faith" 
bringing a revival in Luther's time ; the eternal 
sovereignty of God, adding weight to Calvin's 
words ; the personal responsibility for rejecting or ac- 
cepting Jesus making effective the preaching of Wes- 
ley ; the great commission giving power to Carey and 
his associates ; the endiiement of the Spirit — a second 
blessing, fitting for service — bringing great results in 
Finney's day; the pre-millennial return of the Lord 
making Moody a flaming fire. Do we not recall how 
in the days of Josiah — the good king, the high priest 
when he searched through the house of the Lord found 
the book of the law given by Moses, and "Hilkiah an- 
swered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found 
the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And 
Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. And Shaphan 
carried the book to the king * * * And it came 
to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, 
that he rent his clothes," and confessed "great is the 
wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because 
our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do 
after all that is written in this book. * * * Then 
the king sent and gathered together all the elders of 
Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into 



I 



THE MIRACLE ANCimX AND MODERN. 105 

the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and 
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the 
Levites, and all the people, great and small; and he 
read in their ears all the words of the book of the 
covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. 
And the king stood in his place and made a covenant 
before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep 
his commandments and his testimonies, and his stat- 
utes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform 
the words of the covenant which are written in this 
book. And he caused all that v/ere present in Jerusa- 
lem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants 
of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the 
God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the 
abominations out of all the countries that pertained to 
the children of Israel, and made all that were pres- 
ent in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord 
their God. And all his days they departed not from 
following the Lord, the God of their fathers." 2 
Chron. 34:15, 16, 18 29-33. I am persuaded that the 
truth, which when recovered, shall empower an en- 
feebled church and cause "strawberry festivals to give 
place to the festivals of the saints," and which will 
make men depend not so much upon the music in the 
gallery, or the eloquence in the pulpit, or the culture 
in the pew, as upon the power of God; and finance 
, committees to look not to the latest fads in fair or 
I festival, but to the Father who owns the cattle upon 
i a thousand hills; and preachers to hope for success- 
^ ful meetings not from the coming of some famed 
i brother, but rather from waiting in the upper room 
until they themselves have been baptized — the truth, 
! I say, that will accompHsh this change, is in those 



i 



106 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

plain texts which prove that God is present in His 
own world, and His arm is not shortened that He 
cannot save, nor His ear heavy that He cannot hear. 

When men see the lesser miracles, once performed 
by the Son of God, being repeated in answer to 
prayer, they will be encouraged to look for that 
greatest of all His Marvels — the salvation of sinners 
from sin. It is no mere accident that Chas. Spurgeon, 
who prayed for many people to see them made. well, 
prayed again, and preached to see men saved in soul. 
It is no mere accident that Geo. Mueller, who be- 
lieved that God was present in His world and was 
working wonders, turned in the very last years of 
his life, evangelist — and revivals were in his wake 
wherever he went. It is no mere chance that John 
Wesley, who, when disabled with pain, fever, and 
cough, called on Jesus to restore him, that he might 
continue to speak, and found, as he himself said, 
''When I was praying my pain vanished away, my 
fever left me, my bodily strength returned" was able 
to efifectually call sinners to repentance, and pray 
successfully for their pardon. 

All over this country good preachers of the Gospel 
and noble souls in the pew are praying for a revival. 
In recent years plans for evangelism have been more 
extensive, expensive, and emphatic than the Church 
ever before knew; and, right at the time when "the 
new century movement for evangelism" ought to be 
at its height ; in the very season when the reapers 
should be gathering whereon we have sowed, there 
come to us annual reports that strike the prophets 
of optimism into silence ; and send the Church flat 
on her face again to cry to God for help. But our 






THE MIRACLE ANCIENT AND MODERN. 107 

cry will be like that of the prophets of Baal. Though 
it increase in agony, and we torture our souls as they 
cut their bodies, no fire will fall from heaven while 
we bow before the false gods of Naturalism, or wor- 
ship at the superstitious shrines of Social Philosophy 
or Scientific Culture! Only, Beloved, by acknowledg- 
ing God, by believing that what men have pronounced 
''impossible" is easy to Him; by seeing that whoever 
may pour on the extinguishing waters, He is yet able, 
and yet willing, and forever pledged — setting aside 
your so-called natural law, by His own right and 
power — to let the flames fall, can we hope for that 
conflagration which shall revive God's people, over- 
throw the prophets that oppose them, and bring even 
the unbelieving in penitence before Him to acknowl- 
edge that ''He is God." 



j 



VIII. 

I£^t)pl6m: or, Science ant) Mealtb 
vs. Ubc Scripture, 

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that 
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel; 
which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, 
and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or 
an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than 
that ye have received, let him be accursed. As we said before, 
so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel 
unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." 
Galatians i :6-9. 

THERE are few newly-formed faiths which have 
made themselves so conspicuous these last 
days as has Christian Science, while its popularity is 
evidenced, in that it has grown, within the life-time 
of its authoress, from a conception of her mind, to 
a denomination well nigh a million strong. 

In our own city of Minneapolis it is illustrating 
daily, both its conspicuity and its ability to make 
converts. In the five years of my residence here, I 
have found more references to this cult in the daily 
newspapers than to any one of the greater denomi- 
nations whose ministers and churches have helped 
to make the city what it is. I am candid in the 
opinion that for two years past the daily press has 
printed more on the subject of Christian Science than 
it has published in behalf of the entire one hundred 
evangelical churches, of which this city has just rea- 

108 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. 109 

son to be proud. Whether our editors are semi- 
converts to this "so-called science;" or, whether some 
well-to-do citizens have had sufficient influence at 
the editor's office; or, whether these addresses have 
appeared as ads, paid for by line, the fact remains that 
they have appeared with increasing regularity. Now 
almost every week entire columns are accorded ex- 
positors of Christian Science. 

Five years ago the Minneapolitan followers of Mrs. 
Eddy, when they met at all, were found in some small 
hall or private residence, and their notice of services 
had the sound of some passing fad of faith. Today, 
their First Church, a temple of some pretentions and 
beauty, no longer meets the demand of their multi- 
tudes; the second sanctuary, far more spacious and 
splendid, is in the process of erection, and is centrally 
located. It is claimed for the congregation that 
awaits its completion, that they well nigh fill the 
Lyceum Theater on the Sabbath, and recently rented 
the Unitarian church that they might make larger 
room for their mid-week meetings. 

All of this suggests to me, two or three things, 
namely — that this is not an Ism of such ephemeral 
character that only fools find it necessary to speak 
against it; that this is not a cult that can be laughed 
out of court; and, so far as I am concerned, the at- 
tempt to legislate it out of existence is a piece of re- 
ligious intolerance that I do not believe the increas- 
ing intelligence of the 20th century will continue to 
tolerate. In consonance with our discourse on Lib- 
j eralism, I want to repeat that Christ does not care 
for conquest by coercion. His truth is in no need of 
such assistance; it contains in itself every element of 



110 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

victory; and the man who resorts to any other method 
than teaching it, proves himself its enemy. 'To the 
law and to the testimony; if they speak not according 
to this Word it is because there is no light in them." 
Isaiah 8:20. 

That is the test for this Ism, and by that test, I 
am willing to measure swords with Christian Science ; 
to see my Faith stand or fall, according as it is sup- 
ported or opposed by the Word of God. 

The first thing to which I invite your attention, 
therefore, is, 

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE AND THE SCRIPTURES. 

When I speak of "Christian Science and the Scrip- 
tures," I am purposely employing the phrase. There 
are points of parallelism between "Science and 
Health" and the Scriptures, which are evident to the 
intelHgent reader; and which ought to be admitted 
by the man who poses as fair-minded. To give at- 
tention to all of these would require more time than 
is now at our command. But to the three or four 
fundamental points we do well to contribute some 
study. 

Christian Science emphasizes the idea — "God is 
love." I have yet to read the book by Mrs. Eddy in 
which this phrase does not occur very often. It really 
characterizes her volume, ''Science and Health — With 
a Key to the Scriptures." It has a somewhat promi- 
nent place in her "Miscellaneous Writings — 1883- 
1896." And in the little handbook "Yes and No" 
she repeats again, "God is love." In no one of these 
is she willing to let the sentence of the apostle pass 
without improvement, always taking pains to ex- 
plain, "Love is principle, not person." 



I 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. Ill 

But, for the present, let us pass over her explana- 
tion and remember that she is at least faithful in her 
quotation — *'God is love." Somehow or other I feel 
drawn to the individual who emphasizes that fact ; 
to the denomination that gives it prominence. It is a 
truth the whole world needs to know. Joseph Parker 
put in beautifully when he said, " *God is love' is the 
inclusive proposition — it is the encyclopaedia of 
doctrine; it is the secret of the universe. Creation is 
there, and providence, and redemption. That legend 
blooms in every flower and glows in every star; and 
it is working its way through all sin and pain and 
tears, and will work until in a sanctified humanity and 
in a reconciled universe it interprets and crowns the 
purpose of the cross." 

Again, Christian Science lays stress upon self- 
mastery. The old stoics taught men to endure 
pain without a cry, and commended them when they 
were able to do the same and keep a placid counten- 
ance. Christian Science goes even beyond this and 
insists that there is no pain. Mrs. Eddy says, ''Dis- 
ease arises from a false and miaterial sense, from the 
belief that matter has sensation. Therefore this ma- 
terial sense, which is untrue, is of necessity unreal." 
C'No & Yes," P. 13.) 

And what it teaches concerning disease it says 
concerning every other form of sorrow or of pain. 
There is no man living who would ever reach such 
a conclusion as this until his thinking had been dis- 
torted by teaching at once unscientific and un- 
scriptural. And yet, as a product of this denial of 
bodily ills and mental ailments, "Christian Scientists 
^are noted for peace, humility, sweetness, patience 



112 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

and abounding love." Unbiblical as is the basis of 
this teaching, the behavior coming from it is exactly 
that commended by the Sacred Scripture, only differ- 
ing in its source. The Prophet said of God, 'Thou 
wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on 
Thee." David wrote, ''Serve the Lord with glad- 
ness." Christ affirmed, "He that humbleth himself 
shall be exalted." And the same Master taught, "In 
your patience possess ye your souls." While His 
apostle said, "Ye have need of patience after that ye 
have done the will of God, ye might receive the 
promise." Hebrews 10:36. 

No man having read John's first epistle can for- 
get the prominence he there gives to the doctrine of 
brotherly love, affirming that it is the one evidence 
that we "are of the truth;" that we "are born of God." 
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians "I keep under 
my body and bring it into subjection, lest that by any 
means, when I have preached to others, I myself 
should be a castaway," he was affirming the necessity 
of self-mastery. And when we find that necessity 
met, even though it be in the character of a Christian 
Scientist, let us consent that whatever his precept 
may be, his practice is after the pattern that comes 
down from the mount. 

R. F. Horton says, "Like a water-plant which 
grows in the ooze of the river-bed but only flowers 
when it gets above the surface into the upper air, we 
are so made that until we get above ourselves, above 
our surroundings, and penetrate victoriously into the 
love of God, there is no blossom or flower, no right 
love for men, no wholesome occupation with the 
things of sense and time." 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. 113 

Christian Science has honored the doctrine of 
Divine healing. To be sure they have associated it 
with some statements that are at once abstruse and 
unbibHcal, making the heaUng a result of corrected 
opinion rather than a compassionate act of an all- 
powerful God. And yet, in teaching it at all, they have 
turned the attention of an unbelieving world, and a 
faithless church, to a long neglected Scripture truth. 
When A. A. Sulcer, Doctor of medicine, and 
Qiristian Scientist, says, 'The gift of heahng was 
lost, not because it Vv^as especially granted for the 
special epoch, and then denied to those of later times 
but because the power of the ministry — the Christ 
power — was lost," he uttered what is abundantly il- 
lustrated in history. When he continued, "Restore 
the one and the other is restored; separated they can- 
not be; neither can that power be denied without 
limiting one of the Divinely given tests, not merely 
of discipleship but of 'them that beUeve.' It proved 
the truth and divinity of the message then; and it 
proves the truth and divinity of the message now," 
he reached the very same conclusion to which Dr. 
A. J. Gordon came, through the study of the Scrip- 
tures them.selves; and to which I believe any un- 
prejudiced mind would come were the Holy Ghost to 
become teacher of the Bible text book. One of 
the wisest things our Baptist people ever did, in the 
way of properly instructing people concerning Bap- 
tism, was to collate all the texts of Scripture referring 
to that ordinance, and publish them verbatim^ and 
without comment. The greater doctrines of the 
Word of God will not be in dispute when men dis- 
pense with their prejudices and go about seeing what 
the Scripture saith. 



114 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

Twice recently I have gone into homes to find 
there text books on Divine healing, arranged and 
printed by Christian Scientists, in which a multitude 
of Scripture passages, touching the subject of Divine 
healing, were printed without comment. In each in- 
stance I said, "If Christian Science will keep to this 
custom of letting God speak for Himself, and His 
Word teach its own truths, whoever will may oppose 
them, but I will not be found among the number." 
There may be those who can explain away the hun- 
dred and one texts, and more, that teach this doctrine, 
but is not the practice' of the Word preferable? So 
long as Jehovah declares 'T Am the Lord that healeth 
thee;" so long as He is set forth as the One who "for- 
gives all our iniquities, and heals all our diseases;" 
so long as this stands in the middle of the Great 
Commission "These signs shall follow them that be- 
lieve, they shall lay hands upon the sick and they shall 
recover;" so long as the epistle of James remains 
confessedly of the Sacred Canon, "Is any sick among 
you, let him call for the elders of the church and let 
them pray over him, anointing him with oil, in the 
name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save 
the sick. And the Lord shall raise him up. And if 
he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him. 
Confess your faults one to another and pray one for 
another that you may be healed," my marching or- 
ders are too clear for me to refuse this service to any 
man who asks it; and the meaning of the Word is so 
evident that when the prayers go unanswered I will 
suspect my own faith rather than deny the truth of 
this Bible doctrine, or call in question the faithfulness 
of my covenant-keeping God. I am firmly convinced 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. 115 

that had the orthodox churches of this country stood 
for what the Scriptures say on the subject of heal- 
ing, the misty and uncertain teachings of Christian 
Science, on the same subject, would have received no 
attention whatever, and one of the strongest pillars of 
this fabric of false rehgion, would have been taken 
away from them to strengthen the foundations of the 
"faith as it is in Christ." 

I turn, therefore, from the consideration of Chris- 
tian Science and the Scriptures to the second subject. 

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE VS. THE SCRIPTURES. 

Here again, the points of antagonism between this 
modern movement and the religion of our Master 
are too many for any speaker to undertake even their 
statement in the time allotted for a single address. 
But to two or three of the most fundamental of these 
points I desire to call attention. 

Christian Science opposes the Scripture in its 
claim of equal authority. In "No and Yes" p. 42, 
Mrs. Eddy says, "If the Bible and my work, 'Science 
and Health' had their rightful place in schools of 
learning, they would revolutionize the world by ad- 
vancing the Kingdom of Christ." There is no un- 
certain sound here. The Bible is not sufhcient of 
itself; it must be supplemented by "my work;" it must 
stand on a level with "Science and Health." Again, 
she informs us, in "The year 1866 I discovered meta- 
physical healing and named it 'Christian Science.' 
The principle thereof is divine and apodictical." What 
other claim could be put forth for even the Word 
of God itself? But there is more tb be said, and di- 
vesting herself of all mock modesty, she declares, "It 



116 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

was not myself, but the divine power of Truth and 
Love, infinitely above me, which dictated Science 
and Health with Key to the Scriptures. I have been 
learning the higher meaning of this book since writ- 
ing it. Is it too much to say that this book is leaven- 
ing the whole lump of human thought? You can 
trace its teaching in each step of mental and spiritual 
progress, from pulpit and press, in religion and ethics, 
and find this step either written or indicated therein. 
It has mounted thought on the swift and mighty 
chariot of divine love, which to-day is circling the 
whole world. I should blush to write of 'Science and 
Health with Key to the Scriptures' as I have, were 
it of human origin, and I apart from God, its author. 
But, as I was only a scribe echoing the harmonies of 
heaven in divine metaphysics, I cannot be super- 
modest in my estimate of the Christian Science text 
book." While her claim for her work is surely equal 
to that which any inspired prophet or apostle ever put 
forth in behalf of his section of the Sacred Canon; 
her opinion of herself would put them to shame. In 
"Miscellaneous Writings" p. 34, the question is ask- 
ed, ''Has Mrs. Eddy lost her power of healing?" And 
answered, 'TIas the sun ceased to shine, or the 
heavenly bodies to revolve about it?" I don't know 
whether it has ever impressed you, but I am more 
and more amused to see how many people there are 
that get up a new revelation, and how,, almost uni- 
versally, they add it to the Bible as a needful addenda. 
Take these prese'nt-day sinners, who style themselves 
"latter-day saints" — ^the Mormons, and every tract 
they distribute in this city begins with extensive quo- 
tations from the Bible, by way of making room for 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. 117 

some of Joe Smith's revelations. The Christian 
Scientists do the same. "The Bible and my work." 
Paul seems to have known that this would be the 
method of procedure, hence our text, 'T marvel that 
ye are so soon removed from him that called you into 
the grace of Christ into another gospel: Which is not 
another; but there be some that trouble you, and 
would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, 
or an angel from heaven^ preach any other gospel 
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, 
let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now 
again, Tf any man preach any other gospel unto you 
than that ye have received, let him be accursed.' " Gal. 
1 :6-g. 

John also anticipated these coming heresies, hence 
concluded the Sacred Canon by saying, ''For I testify 
unto every man that heareth the words of the proph- 
ecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these 
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are 
written in this book. And if any man shall take away 
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God 
shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and 
out of the holy city, and from the things that are writ- 
ten in this book." Revelation 22:18-19. 

Even if there were no curse touching this attempt, 
who believes that there is any profit in it; what one 
of these modern revelators imagines for an instant 
that his work is an improvem.ent upon the Old Word, 
except it be that silly company of people who have 
studied Scriptures so little that they are not acquaint- 
ed with their content? A while ago I pulled my way 
.through "Verbum Dei" by R. F. Horton, and heard 
that higher critic plead for a second Bible, a Sacred 



118 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

Canon to be gotten out of the writings of the Fathers 
and modern preachers and teachers of note. And 
then, after all of his argument for this second Bible, 
he turned about and told his auditors, "But the Bible 
itself is, in so unique and peculiar a sense, the Word 
of God that just in proportion as we receive a verit- 
able word from God in other directions we return to 
the Bible to find the message there more luminous, 
more harmonious, more Divine." All of which re- 
minds me of that young man whose girl asked him 
if he didn't sometimes have thoughts that were dif- 
ficult to express, and to which he repHed, ''Yes, and 
after I get them expressed, I cannot help wondering 
why I went to all that trouble." 

Joseph Parker says, touching additions to the 
Bible, "There is not one! Even our beautiful hymns 
are beautiful only because they are Biblical. Have 
not some noble moral apothegms been added to the 
Bible? Not one! If one, produce it. If you produce 
it, I will engage to find it in the Bible as to its spirit- 
ual veracity. * * * Man's genius * h« * 
cannot outrun or exceed God's inspiration." I call 
the claim of equal authority for "Science and Health," 
blasphemy! And Paul and John join with me in the 
charge. 

Again, Christian Science opposes Scripture in its 
denial of personality. It denies the personality of ' 
God. On page 28 of "No and Yes" Mrs. Eddy says, 
"Is God a person?" and answers, "God is love, and 
love is principle, not person." Touching the person- 
aHty of Jesus Christ in "Science and Health" Mrs. 
Eddy seldom mentions His name without following 
it by dash and writing — "Truth" in explanation ot 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. 119 

what she means. Touching the personahty of Satan, 
she says, *Ts there a personal devil?" ''J^^us cast 
out devils. This record shows that the term devil is 
generic * « * hence the apostles must refer to 
the evils which were cast out." Again, 'There is no 
personal devil; that which is mistakenly called the 
devil is a negative or opposite of God, and whereas 
God is 'T am" or positive being, the Devil is not." 
And then again, '*A lie is all the Satan there is." 
I never think of her teachings touching the adversary 
without having Alfred J. Hough's poem come into 
my mind. A single verse from which must suffice : 

"Won't somebody step to the front forthwith 

And make his bow and show^ 
How the frauds and the crimes of a single 

Day spring up? We want to know. 
The devil was fairly voted out, and, 

Of course, the devil's gone ; 
But simple people would like to know 

Who carries his business on?" 

Touching the personality of man, this high-priest- 
ess with a single sentence, disposes of his body, saying 
that ''it is a great mistake to suppose that matter is 
any part of the reahty of existence." P. 238 "Science 
and Health." And of mind, by adding, "Man can 
never have any mind." And as the only soul she 
knows is, "all-soul-or principle" what is left of the 
personality of man? No body, no mind, no inde- 
pendent spirit, it is amazing she ever consented to 
marry one ; and yet, I cannot help thinking that she 
got the best of the bargain if "Science and Health" 
is an indication of her own intellect. 

What does the Bible teach touching these things? 
God says, "I am." Is there in human language a 



120 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

more definite and clear cut expression of personality? 
As Dr. Behrends says, "I AM",— that is God,— self- 
conscious, self-revealing; as personal and individual, 
as am I. The lines of battle have raged between 
transcendence and immanence. I care very little for 
the words. What I want to know is, whether above 
the world or in it, God is 'T am," personal being. 
For if God be self-conscious and self-revealing per- 
sonal Being, — the path is open between Him and me. 
He can speak to me, and I can pray to Him. Re- 
ligion vanishes if man cannot come to God; and reve- 
lation vanishes if Gbd cannot come to man; both re- 
ligion and revelation are secure if God be the Eternal 
*T AM," — self-conscious and self-revealing. And in 
these days when theospohy makes dupes of some, and 
monism entangles others, both of them thinly dis- 
guised pantheism, the breezy and invigorating Chris- 
tian affirmation of God as the living One needs sharp 
and continuous utterance." 

As to Satan, so long as human language remains 
the vehicle of thought, intelligent men will never 
question the personality and power of this fallen 
spirit, who led our first parents into sin; who tempted 
our Lord; against whom Christians wage continual 
warfare; whose supremacy in the earth is prophesied 
for the latter times. (Rev. 13:4) And whose eventual 
overthrow is to characterize the beginning of the 
millennial reign. (Rev. 20:1-3). As to the person- 
ality of man I will not descend to the discussion as to 
whether I have a physical, mental and spiritual exist- 
ence. So long as I continue to eat and drink and 
worship, not even "Science and Health" excites a 
single suspicion at either of these points. 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. 121 

A while ago, you remember, I taught that the 
antichrist was made up of all forms of opposition to 
God, and when I turn to the Word I find that John 
confirms my opinion by saying, ''Who is a liar but 
he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti- 
christ, that denieth the Father and the Son." I. John 
2.22. And again, ''Hereby know ye the Spirit of God; 
Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus is come in the 
flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not 
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: 
and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have 
heard that it should come; and even now already is it 
in the world." i John 4:2-3. 

Again, Christian Science opposes the Scripture in 
its plan of salvation. Touching the atonement it says, 
"Atonement is not blood. It stands for mortality dis- 
appearing, for Jesus' deathless life, which He left for 
an example and ransoms from sin all who follow it." 
You know the teaching of the Word, "Without shed- 
ding of blood there is no remission." (Heb. 9:22). 
"Washed us from our sins in His own blood." (Rev. 
1.5). Christian Science says "there is but one way 
to heaven — harmony." Jesus says, "I am the way." 
(John 14:6). The difference here is radical, and the 
opposition of Christian Science to Scripture texts, 
diametrical. 

Kenneth Mackenzie reminds us that Jude, in the 
nth verse of his short epistle, speaking of the anti- 
christian element that shall characterize society in the 
end of the age, says, "They have gone in the way of 
Cain." We know what the way of Cain was. He 
refused to come to God by way of the blood; he 
would have no unsightly sacrifice, but be accepted by 



122 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

a beautiful basket of fruit. God must take him on his 
own merits — in consequence of the work of his own 
hands, or he will not be received at all; while Abel, 
his brother, preferred to take God in the way of his 
appointment, and brought the slain-offering. The re- 
ligion of one led to murder; the religion of the other 
made a martyr. When you have gone seven steps 
from Cain's Hfe you find a son in Lamech, who was a 
polygamist and a murderer in one; when you have 
gone seven steps from Abel's life, you find a son, 
Enoch, "who walked with God" and was translated 
"not seeing death, because he pleased God." And 
so long as the world stands, these opposing theolo- 
gies will present kindred spectacles. The man who at- 
tempts salvation without accepting the ''Lamb of God 
slain from the foundation of the world" will lose his 
soul and start a stream of evil influences; the man 
who comes to the Christ of the Cross, will not only 
go up to be with Him in Paradise, but leave for the 
world a testimony touching the saving power of the 
suffering, conquering Son of God, that will prepare 
other souls to be blessed of Him, and privilege them 
a translation into His presence. 
Finally, 

THE SCRIPTURE VS. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. 

In considering the points where the Scriptures 
would take positive issue with Christian Science, we 
have chosen to name the three most important ones. 

The' Scriptures teach that sin is a solemn fact. 
There are few words in the Sacred Canon that play 
so conspicuous a part as the term sin. 

If you look into Young's Analytical Concordance 



iii 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. 123 

you will discover that it takes seven columns of that 
large volume to print the single lines in which this 
word SIN appears. The meaning of the term is de- 
fined by the Apostle John ''Sin is the transgression of 
the law." I John 3:4. Of what we call sin, Mrs, 
Eddy says, ''God — or goodness could never make 
men capable of sin. * * * Now evil is but an 
illusion, has no real basis except belief." The Scrip- 
tures say, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive 
ourselves and the truth is not in us. * * "^ If we 
say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar and 
His word is not in us." i John 1:8-10. Mrs. Eddy 
says, "Man cannot depart from holiness." The scrip- 
tures say, "They are all gone astray." "There is none 
righteous, no not one." "For all have sinned." To 
deny the fact of sin is to fit one's self for its com- 
mission with impunity. To humbly confess our sins 
is to come unto the promise of Him "who is faithful 
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from 
all unrighteousness." 

Again, the Scriptures represent unregenei'ate 
souls as lost. "The soul that sinneth it shall die." 
Ezek. 18:4. "He that hath not the Son of God hath 
not life." I John 5 :i2. "He that beheveth not the 
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth 
on Him." John 3:36. "The Son of Man is come to 
seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10. 
Christian Science says "It is the sense of sin, not the 
sinful soul, that is lost." Christian Science says, "No 
j final judgment awaits mortals." The Bible says, "We 
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." 
2 Cor. 5 :io. The Bible says, of those who maltreat 
and neglect the brethren of the Lord, "These shall 



I 



124 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

go away into everlasting punishment." Matt. 25:46. 
Beloved it were of little value that you follow the 
Scientist sincerely, honestly believing that you are 
doing right in accepting what he says, for if he de- 
part from the Word of the Lord, and you follow him, 
doom will be the experience of both, your sincerity 
notwithstanding. Sincerity never saves anybody. 
The other day Engineer Strong, of "the Continental 
Limited" train, on the Wabash R. R., took his dis- 
patch from the station agent and read it, 'Tass at 
Sand Creek" but it was written 'Tass at Seneca." 
He ran his engine supposing he had read aright. The 
result was a crash of two passenger trains, at a point 
near Adrian, Michigan, and the telegraph wires 
flashed across the country, *'8o dead and 125 injured." 
He was sincere, but sincerity cannot save those who 
wrongly interpret authoritative writings. 

The Scriptufes present Jesus as the only, but ade- 
quate Saviouf. And here they clash with Christian 
Science. As we have seen, it says, "There is but one 
way to heaven — ^harmony." The Scriptures say, of 
the Son of God, "This is the stone which was set at 
naught of your builders, which is become the head 
of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, 
for there is none other name under heaven given 
among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 
4:11-12. 

And, as I have remarked. He is not merely the 
only Saviour, but according to the Word, the ade- j 
quate one. Of Jesus of Nazereth Paul wrote, "This 
man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchange- 
able priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save 
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, 



SCIENCE AND HEALTH vs. THE SCRIPTURE. 125 

seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them/' 
Hebrews 7:24-25. 

"Choose you this night, which you will have, — A 
Science falsely so-called, which converts the eternal 
Father into a principle; the arch-enemy of man into 
an illusion ; body, mind and spirit, into error of 
thinking; and heaven into Buddha's Nirvana; or, what 
the Bible sets forth — a God you can call your "Father 
in heaven" (Matt. 6:9); whose love, is such that 
he sent His Son to save you (Rom. 5 :8) ; through 
whose sacrifice you may escape, (Rom. 8:1); and 
a heaven set for all those who are washed and made 
clean in the Blood of the Lamb, and which shall re- 
main forever the abode of the happy and of the un- 
defiled. Rev. 22:2^. For my part, give me a Father 
who can think for me; and whose personal heart can 
pity me ; a Saviour whose experience in the flesh has 
taught Him to be sympathetic with me even in my 
sins, and whose omnipotence makes possible my re- 
demption out of them; a Holy Spirit whose office 
work it is to convict, instruct and comfort me; and 
a soul whose conscious independence is the pledge 
of a possible communion with God Himself and with 
all saints and angels, if that soul but accept the salva- 
tion that is in Jesus. 

James Knapper was in Chicago without a cent 
and out of work. He went, one night, into a humble 
home on Dearborn street, and asked for a meal. The 
Christian woman gave it to him, and while he 
hungrily consumed it, talked to him of Christ. Be- 
fore he left the house she asked him if he wouldn't 
kneel and let her pray for him. And he says, "There, 
for the first time, I bent the knee before God. And 



126 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

friends I was not long in finding Him. That night 
I knocked, and almost instantly the door of Hfe was 
opened to me, and I, who was before that hour a 
wicked outcast, have since that time walked with Him 
who was Abraham's friend, and whose truest title is 
— "Friend of sinners." Ah, men and women stricken 
of sin, conquered by the adversary, you know that 
your experiences of defeat are real, and I know it! 
But I also know what I want you to know, namely, 
that your victory against sin, and against the great 
adversary of the soul, may be also real to-night, if 
only you will come to that Son of God who says 
"Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." 



IX. 

Dowletsm: or, Bivinc Mealing ant) Being 
BwBincsB. 

"Doth Job fear God for nought^ Hast not thou made a 
hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he 
hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, 
and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth 
thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse 
thee to thy face." Job i ig-ii. 

OUR text is Satan's question touching Job who 
was a man of God. The Adversary evidently 
believed that Job was a prosperous imposter, and he 
therefore proposed to test him for the purpose of 
demonstrating his own opinion. In the minds of a 
mighty majority of the people of this country, this 
text accurately describes Dr. John Alexander Dowie ; 
and this test, would, in their opinion, reveal his real 
character, namely — that of a professionaHst whose 
rehgion is a question of "revenue only." How far 
this opinion has occasion, time alone will tell. 

It is stated that the most expert lapidary experi- 
ences the gravest difficulty in deciding at times be- 
tween genuine and spurious stones, but that the com- 
ing and going, of the seasons, sooner or later, always 
makes the difference so evident that even the un- 
practiced eye perceives it. The lesson in this, how- 
ever, is one that many people prefer not to learn, be- 
cause speech is more compatible to them than silence, 
and the passing of judgment more easy than the ex- 
ercise of patience. 

127 



128 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

For almost ten years I have enjoyed a slight per- 
sonal acquaintance with Dr. Dowie. It has been my 
privilege to listen to a few of his sermons; at one 
time, to make it my business to investigate a half 
dozen of the most exceptional cases claiming heahng 
in connection with his work. For a period of nearly 
five years I read the reports concerning him in the 
Chicago press, and carefully compared them with 
what I knew to be the facts to which they remotely 
referred. And yet, I confess that I am not capable 
of forming an opinion of Dr. Dowie and his work, 
which I would dare to put forth as final, and sufficient 
to include at once the character of the man and his 
conduct. It seems to me common fairness for a pub- 
lic speaker to confine himself to facts with which he is 
familiar. In talking on the subject of "Christian 
Science" I purposely omitted any reference to the 
personality or character of Mrs. Eddy, because I have 
never seen her face. Being familiar with her theories, 
it was my right to treat them as I did, compare them 
with Scripture, commending where they were con- 
sonant with the same, and condemning when they 
opposed. 

In what I shall say to-night on the subject of 
"Doweism : or, Divine Healing and Doing Business" 
personal knowledge, and not unreliable press reports, 
must decide the limits of this address. The people 
of this country are slowly but surely learning the 
lesson that our secular press is not a dependable 
medium of information. The man who can present 
no better proof of his opinions than a newspaper 
article, would not be countenanced in a court of jus- 
tice. And, while society at large will swallow what 



DIVINE HEALING AND DOING BUSINESS. 129 

the Judge on the Bench will instantly repudiate, pop- 
ular opinion more and more puts an interrogation 
point after the reporter's work. I may not be blamed, 
therefore, if I fail to confirm statements that you 
may have seen in print, prejudicial to Dr. Dowie; or 
refuse to accept in to to some that you have read com- 
mending him in unmeasured terms. 

Going at once then to our subject, I prefer to 
relate what I shall say to three suggestions, — ^The 
Man — His Methods — and, His Message. 

THE MAN. 

Some of you may not be famiHar with his per- 
sonal appearance. I should say he is about five feet, 
ten inches tall; weight, probably, two hundred 
pounds; his once raven-black hair is now beginning 
to be touched with the frost of years ; while his flow- 
ing beard presents about the same commingling of 
black and white. His features are strong; his eyes 
piercing. If one wanted a model for the ordinary 
Christian's conception of Elijah, the Tishbite, if you 
reduce Dr. Dowie at the girth a bit, he would meet 
the demand. In fact, his personality is so strikingly 
like that commonly attributed to this Old Testament 
prophet, that I can easily see how it adds to his own 
conceit that he is the Elijah "who is to come before 
the great and terrible day of the Lord;" and how it is 
one of the convincing factors that persuade his fol- 
lowers to the same opinion. And yet, there is noth- 
ing in the appearance of this "General Overseer of 
Zion" that would be accepted for a moment as a proof 
of any better than EngUsh birth, or higher calling 
than that of preaching. 



130 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

His intellectual attainments are good. While not 
a scientist of the first order, he is certainly familiar 
with this general field, and is as competent to speak 
touching its attainments, as is the ordinary college 
graduate, who has added twenty or thirty years study 
to those of the school days. In his early life he made 
a special study of medicine. In theology he would 
be a match any day for a strong man; and his knowl- 
edge of law is such that in many instances of arrest, in 
other years, he employed no attorney, always suc- 
cessfully pleading his own case. When one takes 
into consideration the fact that he used to be arrested 
on an average of once a week, and tried in the Chi- 
cago eourts, this is compHmentary to his ability, and 
indicative of his delight, also; for if there is anything 
in which Dr. Dowie takes pleasure it is an intellectual 
tournament. His ability to get into difficulties, and 
his apparent enjoyment of them always reminds me of 
that Irishman of whom it is reported that, coming up 
the Mississippi River on a steamboat, he saw a free 
fight occurring on the bank, and begged the Captain 
to put out the gangplank and let him take a hand. 
He returned, after a while, somewhat battered and 
bruised, but affirming that he had not had such a 
good time since he left old Ireland. While Dr. Dowie 
is fairly familiar with the Scriptures, I am confident 
that he has not spent much time poring over Ro- 
man's 12:18, 'If it be possible, as much as Heth in 
you, live peaceably with all men." 

Against the moral character of Dr. Dowie I know 
nothing. In all the years in which the press has 
dipped its pen in gall to criticise, the charge of un- 
cleanness, in any form, has never been made against 



DIVINE HEALING AND DOING BUSINESS. 131 

him. Individuals have whispered slanders, but no in- 
telligent man would give countenance to such charges 
unless there was something more evidenced than the 
mere statement of the evil-mouthed. From one re- 
liable source I heard of his petulent temper toward his 
wife, but in my own visits in the home, I have beheld 
only a most beautiful behaviour towards Mrs. Dowie, 
and to all outward appearances, the most mutual af- 
fection between them. Personal friends of mine who 
have spent from two to six weeks in Zion, coming 
into constant and close contact with the domestic Hfe 
of his family, have affirmed, without exception, that 
it was sweet and Christian. 

As to his business methods and their relations to 
his moral character, I leave that for attention at a 
later time in the discourse, only remarking further, 
that his courage has never been doubted by any who 
know him. 

Joseph Parker says of Elijah, the Tishbite, "He 
came upon society now and then; came down like a 
flood from the threatening clouds; shot out like a 
fire, and burned the men whom he approached. He 
needed no hospitality. He asked for no testimonial, 
pledge, or favor, certificate, introduction or com- 
mendation. He was in very deed a son of Thunder." 
And no man could look upon the leader of Chicago's 
Zion, Hsten to his words, without feeling that he is 
before another Boanerges. He speaks also with 
an unfaltering voice, and you feel that even the Devil 
from hell could not make him afraid. 

HIS METHODS. 

At present his financial methods are successful. 
Ten years ago Dr. Dowie was poor; he lived plainly 



132 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

in a flat in the southern part of Chicago ; he preached 
to a few people in a clapboard building. He learned 
then how "to be in want;" judging from outward ap- 
pearances, he has since then learned "how to 
abound." The newspapers have charged that, 
through deluding his people, he has financially de- 
stroyed them, and greatly enriched himself, and there 
are many that beheve them. Thinking that, in com- 
mon fairness, it were well to hear from the other side, 
I wrote to the cashier of his bank, William S. Peck- 
ham, who, when I was in Lafayette, Ind., was my 
warm personal friend, and was then the Cashier of 
the First National Bank of that city. Mr. Peckham 
is a man of devoted spirit, and while not possessed 
of that perfect balance which gives promise against 
''every wind of doctrine," he is one of such integrity 
that, on all ordinary matters, I should never think for 
a moment of calling his statements into question. In 
reply to my query as to whether Dr. Dowie was get- 
ting rich through the offerings of his followers, and, 
as to whether the business methods, adopted in the 
institution, were such as he could approve, and prom- 
ising him perfect confidence should he desire it, Mr. 
Peckham, said, "1 am in a position to know all of Dr. 
Dbwie's methods of business. I know him to be a 
man of strict integrity, and believe it would be impos- 
sible for him to do an injustice to any one. Every- 
thing in Zion is done through departments, headed 
by men of the highest ability and business sagacity. 
Dr. Dowie is not getting rich from the tithe offerings 
of Zion, but Zion herself is. Dr. Dowie never sees 
or handles one single dollar of the tithe offerings; 
they all go to the church recorder, and by him are 



DIVINE HEALING AND DOING BUSINESS. 133 

credited to the different givers, and receipts are sent 
to each. The money is then deposited in Zion City 
Bank, and is checked out by draft signed by the Gen- 
eral Financial Manager of Zion, in payment of all 
bills against Zion, and for the extension of the work 
of the church. After watching carefully for five years, 
Zion's methods ; and after two years' business rela- 
tions, in a position where everything passes under 
my own eyes, I say to you what I should say if I were 
-to go to the judgment to-morrow, or this night, that 
Dr. Dowie is a man of God, laboring and pouring out 
his very life for humanity, and for the extension of 
the Kingdom of God. Zion will stand your closest 
scrutiny." (W. S. Peckham.) 

You have the newspaper charges on the one side; 
you have the statement of Mr. Peckham — cashier of 
his Bank — on the other. I have not the disposition 
to prejudice your judgment for or against Dr. Dowie, 
and the financial method which he has chosen to em- 
ploy. You are capable of formulating your own 
opinions, seeing that you have in your possession as 
many of the facts as I have in mine. 

This I know, from personal observation — he is a 
consummate general. When he had no more than a 
Gideon's band of three hundred, not a one of them 
would have cast himself prone on the ground to 
drink, had they imagined that by so doing, they would 
miss the Overseer's eyes, and possibly come short of 
receiving his commands; and now, when his follow- 
ers have become thousands and tens of thousands, 
his commands are obeyed with equal alacrity. The 
organization at Chicago is well nigh perfect. His rep- 
resentatives go forth two by two, as they did in New 



i 



134 VAGARIES AND VBRITIES. 

Testament times; and are sent out by seventies, fol- 
lowing in that also^ the Master's example. 

Last summer, a year ago, having to change cars 
at a little town in central Ohio, I went into a barber 
shop to be shaved, and three fouler-mouthed men 
were never assembled than those to whose conversa- 
tion I listened that morning. They were planning to 
mob Bowie's elder, when he should arrive in town. 
And, together with others, they did mob him and sent 
him away bruised and bleeding. Twice since that, this 
General Overseer has ordered his elders to preach in 
that place, and they have gone immediately about 
executing his command, only to be stoned and beaten, 
as was their predecessor. And yet, I doubt if there 
is an elder in Zion who would not head at once to- 
ward that miserable village if his Overseer suggested 
it. 

It is related that when the French soldiers became 1 
disaffected with Napoleon, and, in the time of the I 
Egyptian campaign, threatened his life, he walked } 
among them, saying, "Soldiers, you are Frenchmen. 
You are too many to assassinate me, and too few to 
intimidate me," And the very bravery of the speech 
brought an end to the rebellion, and exalted Napoleon 1 
in the judgment of those who had threatened him. ? 
But Napoleon never could compel more servility on 
the part of his followers, than the beUevers in Dowie 
volunteer to him. 

Hei is a constitutional critic. Like Elijah of old, 
he seems to imagine that he alone is all that is left of 
the Lord's prophets. In fact, if I beheved, as some 
of his followers do, that he was Elijah, returned to 
earth, I should feel somewhat disappointed that all 



DIVINE HEALING AND DOING BUSINESS. 135 

these centuries in heaven had accomplished so little 
change in his character, that he fell at once into the 
old fault, that found expression at Horeb. He could 
see no good thing in the seven thousand who had not 
bowed the knee to Baal: and this self-styled Elijah sees 
little good in the hundreds of thousands who now 
worship, with him, the same God and believe, with 
him, the same Bible. The men who escape his criti- 
cism are few, and ought to regard themselves favored 
indeed. 

The best of our brethren have suffered most at his 
merciless hand. The saintly Gordon's memory was 
not sainted enough to save him from Dr. Dowie's 
strictures; a Moody, with his hundreds of thousands 
of converts, and his tremendous influence for good 
in the church, must still be the subject of his sarcasm. 
A. B. Simpson, than whom God never put breath in 
a sweeter man, has been vilely slandered by Dr. 
Dowie, attacked not alone at the point of his opinions, 
but even the sanctity of his home invaded, and his 
high Christian character called into question. In fact, 
the one thing about Dr. Dowie, which, to me, has 
always been most objectionable was this marvelous 
ability to see the defects in others. I cannot quite 
beHeve he ever read Matthew 7:1-2, "Judge not, that 
ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge 
ye shall be judged: and with what riieasure ye mete, 
it shall be measured to you again." 

As I have Hstened to his tirades against bad men, 
I have cried ''Bravo!" but when I have read his at- 
tacks upon men of God, I have wondered whether he 
might not have reached the point to which Goethe's 
one-eyed friend — Heusgen — came when, as Goethe 



136 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. ' 

says, with an indescribable squint, he affirmed, "I 
think I see defects in God." 

He is tainted with self-conceit. Of course, he is 
an EngHshman, and is portly, and may not mean half 
the pomposity that appears. But his beautiful car- 
riage; his splendid span; the style in which he travels; 
his stigmas against the motives of others, his claim 
to be Elijah — come in the flesh — all suggest conceit. 
And yet, I once believed, that when on his knees 
before God, he was humble in spirit, and I have been 
filled with alarm touching the issue of this contention 
between the law of the mind, and the law^ of the mem- 
bers, which gave the Apostle Paul anxiety. It has 
seemed to me (I want to speak justly, but it has . 
seemed to me) that with the increase of popularity, | 
there has come arrogance and pride. 

Few uninspired men ever said a truer thing than , 
Dr. S. E. Herrick uttered in his essay on ''Jo^^ Hus." 
He tells how that man of God had come to position of I 
peculiar power and influence. He was rector of the - 
University, and so reached the intelHgent and think- j 
ing multitude; through the students, he was touching 
the remote parts of the continent. He was confessor 
to Queen Sophia of Bavaria, and was thus brought 
into relations with the noble of Bavaria and Bohemia. 
He was appeahng, as no other of all Bavaria did or 
could, to the growing national spirit, the growing 
patriotism of the people. From his pulpit at Beth- 
lehem, he ruled the thought of the masses hke a king 
upon his throne. He was, in truth, mightier than the 
archbishop, mightier in some ways, than the king 
himself. And, Herrick remarks, "Now, when a man 
is raised to such a position of power, and such a de- 



DIVINE HEALING AND DOING BUSINESS. 137 

gree of popularity as a preacher, one of two things 
will be Hkely to come of it. If his conscience is larger 
than his vanity he will become a martyr to his cause; 
if his vanity is larger than his conscience, his cause 
will become a martyr to him." 

There are people who believe that this question 
has already been settled. On the one side, some say 
"Dr. Dowie will be a martyr to his cause;" and 
against this others declare the cause of truth is al- 
ready a martyr to him. For my own part I think 
that the single claim of being Elijah — returned to 
earth — is a warrant for the latter opinion. 

HIS MESSAGE. 

He demand's, the reformaiion of society. What' 
ever else you may say of him, this must be admitted, 
•that his eyes are not closed to sin. He is no Chris- 
tian Scientist, denying that sin exists; he is no Lib- 
eraHst, affirming that man is too good to be damned; 
he is no political preacher, keeping silent about what 
he sees for the sake of standing-in; he is no petted 
pastor, with a gag in his mouth; he does not belong to 
that company of preachers who insist that society 
is rapidly improving, and the millennium will come 
without any assistance from the personal presence of 
the Master. He sees in Chicago society sins that 
v/ould shame the doings of Sodom, and he knows that 
the same is true in every considerable city of the land. 
And against these iniquities he hurls his anathemas. 
The arrows from his bow are tipped with fire, and 
I everyone of them makes itself felt. His sarcasm stings ; 
his ridicule excites wrath; his Gospel burns the god- 
less. That is the principal reason why the Chicago 
press so insistently denounces and decries him. If 



138 VAGARIES AND VBRITIBS. 

he were a rascal only, and was content to carry on 
his rascality, while saying nothing against the sins of 
others, he could be elected to the Chicago City Coun- 
cil, or made its next mayor. The daily press of Chi- 
cago does not make it its business to uncover faults 
and expose crimes, and track them to judgment. If 
it did, it would have its hands so full that Dowie could 
receive but little attention. 

John Lord speaking of the work of Socrates in 
exposing the shallowness and worldliness of the 
Sophists of Athens says, "If he had let persons alone, 
and had not ridiculed their opinions and pretensions, 
they would probably have let him alone. Galileo 
aroused the wrath of the Inquisition not for his scien- 
tific discoveries, but because he ridiculed the Domini- 
can and Jesuit guardians of the philosophy of the 
Middle Ages, and because he seemed to undermine 
the authority of the Scriptures and of the Church: 
his boldness, his sarcasms, and his mocking spirit 
were more offensive than his doctrines. The Church 
did not persecute Kepler or Pascal. The Athenians 
may have condemned Xenophanes and Anaxagoras, 
yet not the other Ionian philosophers, nor the lofty 
s.peculations of Plato ; but they murdered Socrates be- 
cause they hated him. It was not pleasant to the gay 
leaders of Athenian society to hear the utter vanity 
of their worldly lives painted with such unsparing 
severity, nor was it pleasant to the Sophists and 
rhetoricians to see their idols overthrown, and they 
themselves exposed as false teachers and shallow pre- 
tenders." 

You remember that Victor Hugo, in Les Miser- 
ables, speaking of Jarvert says "he noticed that so- 



DIVINE HEALING AND DOING BUSINESS. 139 

ciety closes its doors without pity on two classes of 
men — those who attack it; and those who guard it." 

That Dr. Dowie has attacked society; that he con- 
tinues so to do daily, none of his auditors would dis- 
pute. Social resentment, then, is the very thing for 
which his followers should look; and if it be true, as 
they claim, that he is also guarding society, that 
would account for increased hatred and vituperation. 
Without passing opinion upon whether he is doing 
the latter or not, I want to say that never in the his- 
tory of the world, has sin been more rampant than 
this evening; and never has the true prophet of God 
had better occasion to call to men to turn therefrom; 
and prophesy judgment for those who continue there- 
in. 

Dr. Dowie's message also contains denunciation 
for existing and honored Christian denominations. He 
sees the faults of the church so clearly that he seems 
to overlook her virtues. The hypocritical preten- 
ders loom so large in his eyes that there is no retina- 
space left to mirror the many godly. His error is so 
much akin to that of George D. Herron, namely, the 
error of denouncing the evil without commending the 
good, that it makes one afraid lest his final conduct 
shall parallel that of this ex-Iowan Professor. The 
Scriptures do not teach that it is Christian charity 
to behold always the deficiencies of one's brethren; 
and be always blind to the sins of self. "Charity cov- 
ereth a multitude of sins," but they must be the sins 
of the other man, since another text says, ''He that 
covereth his sins shall not prosper." 

The good Dr. Gordon said, ''Let us not forget 
that we are sent to save men, not to destroy them; 



140 VAGARIES AND VBRITIBS. 

to win them, not to wound them. And, therefore, 
what glory is it that we have won a reputation for 
keenness in rebuke, for brilHancy in pulpit repartee, 
for pungency in hitting off the faults and foibles of 
our brethren? It is a short road to popularity, in- 
deed. Let it be known that a minister on next Sun- 
day is going to give a hot, spicy discourse on the 
crookedness of deacons, and the shallowness of Chris- 
tians in general, and it will be sure to call out a large 
attendance. The popularity of some of our most 
noted preachers has been largely due to their ingenu- 
ity in this direction. But this is not our calling as 
Christians. It is for us to set forth the beauty and 
excellency of Jesus Christ, and not to exhibit the fol- 
lies and blemishes of human nature. In either case 
we shall be unconsciously assimilated to the image 
of that on which we dwell. T do not allow myself to 
look at a bad picture,' said Sir Peter Lely, the artist, 
'for if I do my brush is certain to take a hint from 
it.' Caricaturists of human nature likewise come at 
last to present very bad specimens of human nature 
in their own character. They learn unconsciously to 
personate their own pictures and to exemplify their 
own exaggerations. Take now and then a sorrowful 
look at human nature, but for one look in this direc- 
tion, take ten toward the perfect Christ, and hold 
him up steadily and faithfully, and all the while you 
will be growing into the same image from glory to 
glory." 

Dr. Dozvie gives undue prominence to the Bible 
doctrine of Divine healing. Christ's preachers ought 
to present Scripture doctrines after the manner of 
Bible proportions. Harping on a theme hurts rather 



DIVINE HEALING AND DOING BUSINESS. 141 

more than helps it. I have often said, and still be- 
lieve, that had the exponents of Divine healing been 
men of such good balance as was A. J. Gordon, and as 
is A. B. Simpson, this splendid doctrine would long 
since have been restored to its rightful place in church 
creed and Christian living. The charlatans who have 
gone about the country claiming that the power to 
heal had been imparted to them; the semi-buddists 
who as Theosophists, Spiritualists, and Christian Scien- 
tists, have announced healing methods, equally un- 
biblical, have so far prejudiced the public thought that 
when a preacher of this doctrine presents it, he finds 
a good part of his audience in an attitude of opposi- 
tion. And yet, you saw in the sermon of last Sunday 
evening, that the Bible does give it prominence, while 
the ministry of Jesus Christ was more occupied with 
this beneficent work of healing the sick, than with all 
other duties combined, save the subject of teaching. 
And He says He did it that it might be fulfilled which 
was spoken by Isaias, the prophet, saying "Surely He 
hath borne our sorrows and carried our sicknesses." 
Ill-health does not come from above ; sickness had no 
more place in God's original plan than did sin. Our 
whole theology, at this point, has been awry, and God 
has been much maUgned in consequence. Physical 
health is after His Holy will; it stands second only 
to a saved soul; and the unsound bodies, and the un- 
balanced minds of the world, are not the work of 
God, for "God is love." 

But, after all, a sound body is of second importance 
I grant you. The thing of first importance, the thing 
all essential in importance; the thing without which 
life is a failure ; the thing, in lack of which, death is 
doom, is sins forgiven and the soul saved. 



142 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

I believe God answers prayer for the sick because 
it is in the Word. But the healing of all healings has 
to do with the soul; it brings it back from the sick- 
ness of sin, to have it reclaimed from the power there- 
of, to have it cleansed from the leprosy therein; and 
that is health indeed. 

And that is exactly what God wants to do for every 
man here tonight; for every woman; for every child! 
He longs to do it more than you long to have it done. 
He is willing to do it, and waiting, and if, tonight, you 
are willing, it will be done. To doubt His power to 
call into question His disposition to accompUsh this 
Divine work, is to drive the sword afresh to His heart, 
and crucify Him with your unfaith. 

It is related of Dr. Paxson, prominent for many 
years in the American Sunday School Union, that he 
was a dull boy. The school teacher finally gave up in 
despair, and wrote to his mother that he could not 
learn the multiplication table, and suggested that she 
send him to school no longer. When the boy went in 
at night he found his mother crying bitterly. The 
curly headed, blue eyed, mischievous, fun-loving, but 
affectionate fellow, went up to his mother and inquired 
what the trouble was. She told him what the teacher 
had written. "Oh, don't cry," said Paxson, "you 
break my heart ; I didn't know ^ou cared so much ; I 
never thought you wanted me to learn the multiplica- 
tion table. Mother, if you desire it I will know it to- 
morrow." And to the amazement of the teacher he 
made his word good, and ere long was regarded as a 
mathematical prodigy. 

Sometimes I think that those of you who have been 
"slow to believe" have never yet seen the great truth 



DIVINE HEALING AND DOING BUSINESS. 14.3 

that God wants you to believe ; have never yet realized 
how your unfaith hurts His heart; have never yet 
heard His sobbing, "Oh, my son ! my son ! my daugh- 
ter! have not I died for thee?" And I do trust that 
by the operation of the Spirit upon your hearts to- 
night, many of you shall come to understand how your 
indifference to Divine things, your lack of interest in 
the salvation of your own soul, sorrows the heart of 
your heavenly Father, and for His sake will rise up to 
say, ''If You want me to love your Son, and live for 
Him, by Your help, I will begin tonight." 



X. 



StmpBontsm : or, XTbe ffour^ffolt) 
(3o9peL 

"Therefore let us cease to speak of the first principles of 
Christ and press on unto perfection." Hebrews 6:i R. V. 

I FEEL like begging the pardon of Dr. Simpson for 
adding a terminology to his name in order to 
create a subject for this discourse. The reasons for 
doing so are evident enough to all those who have 
heard the previous sermons, or even seen an announce- 
ment of the subjects discussed in our Sunday evening 
meetings for some weeks past. 

It is true that Dr. Simpson is the originator of what 
is known as the Christian and Missionary Alliance 
Movement; and, from the first hour, has been, under 
the Holy Ghost, its guiding genius. So well known 
is both the man and the movement, and so intimate 
is the relation of the former to the latter, that one is 
justified in employing the term *'Simpsonism," when 
he means "The Christian and Missionary Alliance." 
But, when I remember the modesty of this man; his 
consistent endeavor to exalt Christ and hide himself, 
I feel a little guilty in playing any tricks whatever 
with his name. 

It is reported of Daniel S. Ford, the successful or- 
franizer and editor of ''The Youth's Companion," that, 
though he built up a splendid paper, and made, out of 

144 



^ 



THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL. 145 

its publication, so excellent a fortune, his picture never 
appeared on its pages, and there were many well-in- 
formed and prominent Bostonians, who at the death 
of Ford, learned for the first time that he had any 
connection whatsoever with that noble publication, so 
modest had been the man. To be sure a preacher 
cannot so effectually hide himself, seeing that he is 
set of God for public addresses and popular leader- 
ship. But, in some respects, at least, Simpson's con- 
duct parallels that of the lamented publisher. Ex- 
cept in groups, where he is inconspicuous, the face of 
Dr. Simpson has never appeared in the columns of the 
Christian and Missionary Alliance Magazine. And 
when one attends the conferences of this body of be- 
lievers, and witnesses, from day to day, the work of 
its leader, he realizes more and more the Christ-like- 
ness in the manner of the man. It would be difficult 
to conceive of a more thorough opposite to Dr. Dowie 
than Mr. Simpson presents. He dresses plainly; he 
dwells in an unpretentious house ; he neither makes 
charge for his services nor adopts the custom of tak- 
ing free-will offerings. Even his church, in New 
York city, he serves without salary — his personal and 
domestic necessities being met by the publication of 
his paper, and a commission from his many books. 
With the Apostle Paul, he "preaches the Gospel with- 
out charge, that he may not abuse his power in the 
Gospel," and for the same reason. Paul said, you re- 
member, "For though I be free from all men yet have 
I made myself servant unto all that I might gain the 
more." (i Cor. 9:18-19.) 

But it is not my purpose to speak to the man. 
When I have done that in other instances, it was only 



i 



146 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

by way of introducing the message, for I regard that 
as far more important than the man himself. 

Touching the message of this movement it is bet- 
ter to let Dr. Simpson speak. In an editorial of his 
paper, June i, 1898, he says, "The Alliance has a dis- 
tinct testimony and message =i« * * What is our 
message? Primarily and pre-eminently it is Jesus 
Christ — a living reality, and an all-sufficient Saviour, f 
In keeping with this it is a message calling to a deeper 
Hfe; a life of separation, consecration and service. It 
is a message of supernatural power, available through i 
our risen Lord for every believing soul ; and it is a 
message of hope in the prospect of His personal re- 
turn." 

If one studies this statement closely he will see 
that it presents every article of the four-fold Gospel. 
It Presents Christ as Saviour — as Our Sanctifier — ■ 
as Our Healer and, as the Coming Lord. 

OUR SAVIOUR. 

The members of the Christian and Missionary Al- 
liance Movement are in perfect accord in their view of 
Jesus Christ. He is to them, first of all "A Saviour." 
They believe no mistake was made when His name 
was called "Jesus," seeing that He does "save His peo- 
ple from their sins." With the popular gospels of the 
present day they show no sympathy whatever. 

These people do not put their trust in Science. The 
times upon which we have fallen are those of great 
scientific discovery. Most unexpected things have 
come to light through scientific investigation ; the most 
unimaginable conquests have been made by scientific 
endeavor; and men, seeing these things, have gone 



THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL. 147 

Science-mad; and there are not a few who are now 
preaching a gospel of salvation by Science. There 
are many who honestly believe that the millennium 
will be brought in by public schools, academies, col- 
leges, universities; and especially do they think it 
hastened by our technical institutions. They seem to 
think that the intellectual development of men will lead 
them to everlasting life, and to the enjoyment of ever- 
lasting love. But, as has been truly said, "Nothing 
of all this appears in any of the teachings of the 
Master. He never once mentions science, or the 
ethical power of art, or the soul-renewing grace of 
music; nor, indeed, colleges, or universities, or any- 
thing lying purely in the domain of the natural." 

In this matter the four-fold Gospel people follow 

closely their Lord, and while seeing the necessity of 

education; while availing themselves of its proffers; 

while estabHshing schools for its future propagation, 

they repudiate it as a Saviour, believing with Peter, 

"Neither is there salvation in any other," than Jesus. 

These people are not smitten with the notion, now 

popular, if only a man is sincere he will he saved. 

They know that sincerity has no power to atone for 

sin; they also know sincerity may be mistaken, and 

make absolute shipwreck of the things it hoped to 

bring to success. Hence they preach not sincerity as 

j "Saviour" but "the Son of God." Those of you who 

I did the Chautauqua work some years ago, may remem- 

I ber that one volume used in it, was "The Philosophy 

I of the Plan of Salvation" by an American Citizen, and 

j you will remember an illustration which ought forever 

; to suffice against this popular yet perilous teaching — 

] "that sincere men and sincere women are saved by their 

.1 

\ 



148 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 



1 



own state of mind." The author said, "When the 
EngHsh army under Harold, and the Norman under 
William the Conqueror, were set in array for that 
fearful conflict which decided the fate of the two armies 
and the political destinies of Great Britain, William, 
perceiving that he could not, by a fair attack, move the 
solid columns of the . English ranks, had recourse to 
a false movement, in order to gain the victory. He 
gave orders that one flank of his army should fain 
to be flying from the field in disorder. The officers of 
the English army believed the falsehood, pursued them, 
and were cut off. A second time, a false movement 
was made in another part of the field. The English 
again believed, pursued, and were cut off. By these 
movements the fortunes of the day were determined. 
Although the English had the evidence of their senses, 
yet they were led to believe a falsehood — they acted 
in view of it ; the consequence was, the destruction of 
a great part of their army, and the establishment of 
the Norman power in England." 

I concede what many people doubt — and some 
emphatically deny — that Christian Scientists may be 
sincere; that SpirituaHsts may be sincere; that The- 
osophists may be sincere ; but I know that sincerity 
will never save a man who has turned from the truth 
of God to "believe a lie;" who has fixed his hope in 
his own state of mind instead of placing the same in 
the omnipotent and loving Son of God. 

I have had hanging in the bed-room of my little 
boys, a four-fold Gospel Scroll, made up of some thirty 
or forty large pages, on which there is printed four 
texts for every day; and, in just one quarter of them 
all, Jesus Christ is presented as "Saviour." The 



THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL. 149 

Scriptures warrant even a greater proportion for this 
subject. 

Neiiheff do they permit self -righteousness to take 
this place of the Son of God. There is no people who 
ring the changes more often on the text, "By the deeds 
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight." 
Dr. Simpson in a sermon on "Not by might, nor by 
power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts," 
says, "Coming down the stagnant river below Tientsin, 
China, our ship struck in the sandy bottom. At first 
we tried to get off the bar by working the engines to 
their utmost, but they only rolled the waters and sunk 
the vessel deeper in the sand. And we thought, "This 
is what our struggles accomplish in our spiritual life." 
Then they got out a strong cable, and fastening it to 
a big tree on the bank they wound it around the capstan 
and began to draw on it with all their might until 
the cable creaked and snapped, but they could not move 
the boat an inch. So, we thought, when we cannot 
help ourselves, then we pull on somebody else and 
try to get them to lift us by their prayers. But all 
is equally vain. At length they ceased from all their 
•efforts and we fell back in the mud, apparently. But 
it was not long before we noticed the water rising on 
the bank, and after a few hours we realized that a new 
force had come upon the scene. It was the mighty 
ocean-tide, the attraction of a celestial world; and, lo, 
our ship was lifted and borne out to sea without an 
effort." The illustration is patent. "For by grace 
are ye saved, through faith, and that not of your- 
selves. It is the gift of God; not of works lest any 
man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9.) 



150 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 



OUR SANCTIFIER. 



n 



The four-fold Gospel people are not afraid of the 
term sanctificatioji. It is biblical, and often employed 
in the Word; and that, to them, is sufficient reason 
for giving it attention both in practice and in preach- 
ing. But they do not preach sinless perfection. In 
attending their conferences I have never heard, from 
the lips of any member of the Christian and Mission- 
ary Alliance Movement, that claim put forth for him- 
self, or preached as the command of the Lord. 

Rev. Evan H. Hopkins, addressing the Alliance 
in St. James Hall, London, April 6, 1897, said, "There 
is the idea, in some perhaps only the suspicion, that 
we teach the doctrine of the state of sinlessness as a 
possible attainment in this life. Nov^ let me say as 
distinctly and emphatically as I can, that, so far as 
the speakers on this platform are concerned, we entire- 
ly repudiate any such doctrine. We believe that to 
the last, the holiest saint will have need for daily con- 
fession of sin ; we believe that those words in i John 
1 :8 apply to the believer who is walking in fellow- 
ship with God, Tf we say that we have no sin, we de- 
ceive ourselves.' Now the man that says it, is himself 
deceived, and those that live with him don't share in 
the deception." 

And yet, the Christian and Missionary Alliance 
Movement does stand for progress in holy living. 
They teach that "every man that hath a hope in Christ, 
purifieth himself, even as He is pure." The very 
word "purifieth" is indicative of progress. It is a 
daily conflict in which the believer is getting the con- 
quest. They look to "the very God of peace to sancti- 
fy them wholly," and pray that "the whole spirit, soul 



THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL. 151 

and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of 
our Lord Jesus Christ." They expect, according to 
the Word of Jesus Christ, "to be sanctified through 
the truth." They agree with the Keswick brethren, 
that to entertain in the heart a known sin, without wag- 
ing a relentless warfare against it, would crimson more 
deeply still the soul's guilt. They also have hope with 
the Apostles, "that through the power of Christ, they 
may be cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and 
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord." 
(2 Cor. 7:1.) 

It is related that when Alexander the Great was, at 
twenty years of age, called to succeed his father as 
king over Macedonia, the most that he had hoped to 
do was to subdue some of the hill tribes, and come into 
better possession of his own little kingdom. But, 
when he succeeded in this, he was inspired to attempt 
the greater endeavor of conquering some Greek cities ; 
succeeding in that, he dreamed of larger conquests, 
and went on from day to day, fighting battles, winning 
victories, subjugating enemies, until, as it is reported, 
he wept for more worlds to conquer. In this respect 
he ought to stand as a type of the true Christian. 
When first we were converted, and thereby became 
kings unto God, the most for which we hoped was a 
victory over the besetting sins, and we feared lest in 
that conflict we might fail. But succeeding in that 
we have undertaken the larger problem of bringing 
the whole man into subjection to the will of Jesus 
Christ, "By the which will we are sanctified through 
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all." 
(Hebrews 10:10.) In this, the Lord our God will 
give the earnest man good success. 



152 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 



OUR HEALER. 



1 



Dr. Arthur T. Pierson, in his volume 'The For- 
ward Movements of the Last Half Century" gives one 
chapter to the subject ''The Grov^th of the Belief in 
Divine Healing." In other chapters he touches upon 
this subject in the true interpretation of the word. 

Tnere is, perhaps, no single body of believers as 
large as the Christian and Missionary Alliance, who 
are in such accord touching this doctrine. There is 
not a dissenter among them, when Divine healing is 
taught. 

They hold to the theory of physical' atonement. 
With many of the best students of the Word of God, 
including such names as George Mueller, A. J. Gordon, 
Frederick W. Farr, they teach that Jesus not only 
"bore our sins in His own body on the tree" but also 
"carried our sicknesses." In defense of this position 
they appeal to Isaiah "Surely He hath born our sins 
and carried our sicknesses." And if one dispute that 
rendition of the text of Isaiah, he must answer not only 
Christ's translation, but also the Master's interpreta- 
tion of its meaning, "For when Jesus was come into 
Peter's house and saw his wife's mother lying sick of 
a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, 
and she arose and ministered unto Him. And when 
even was come they brought unto Him many pos- 
sessed with devils, and He cast out the spirits with a 
word, and healed all that were sick: that it might 
be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, 
Saying, Himself took our infirmities and bare our sick- 
nesses." (Matt. 8:14-17 R. V.) 

Th^y practice the command of the Lord and ap- 
propriate His promise's. These people have not learned 



THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL. 153 

as yet, how to take a section from the Great Com- 
mission without considering that they have done it any 
violence. They not only believe "Go ye into all the 
world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation" is 
the Lord's commandment ; but they accept the promise 
associated with it, "These signs shall follow them 
that believe. They shall lay hands on the sick and 
they shall recover." James 5:13-16 contains no 
stumbling block to the Elders of the Christian Alliance 
Movement. "Is any among you sick? Let him call 
for the elders of the church; and let them pray over 
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and 
the Lord shall raise him up. And if he have 
committed sins it shall be forgiven him. Confess, 
therefore, your sins one to another, and pray one 
for another that ye may be healed." They do not 
pass this text over and call it out of date ; they do not 
parley about what James meant when he wrote it ; they 
don't explain it away in saying the Lord prescribed 
oil for every conceivable illness ; they practice its plain 
command and claim its plain promise. T am proud 
of the fact that so many of my Baptist brethren are 
one with them in this belief ; that Gordon taught Bos- 
ton believers this truth, in his matchless volume "The 
Ministry of Healing." That Frederick W. Farr is 
publishing it not alone in his Baptist pulpit in Phila- 
delphia, but through his pubHshed sermons to thou- 
sands of others. That for thirty consistent years. Dr. 
J. M. Weaver, of The East Chestnut Street, Louisville, 
has been teaching our Southern brethren ; while for all 
of that time Dr. Worrell has by voice and pen, made 
known this neglected phase of doctrine, believing that 



154 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

"all Scripture is inspired, and is profitable for doctrine ; 
for reproof; for correction; for instruction in right- 
eousness." If some of the best students of the present 
day are prophetic in the least, the time is not distant 
when the Church which once rejected the idea of 
sanctification, but afterward received it; once re- 
pudiated the obligation of missions, but afterward ac- 
cepted the same ; once ignored the personality of the 
Holy Ghost, but later began to pubHsh it, will also 
give place to Divine healing ; will teach Christian people 
to pray to that God 'Vho forgiveth all our iniquities 
and healeth all our diseases" expecting to see Him 
make good His Word. I believe with Dr. Pierson, 
"The more of the grace we cultivate, the more of the 
gift is likely to be conferred. The one need of our 
day is a higher type of piety ; a closer walk with God. 
* * * A new hold on God might prove a new 
revelation of a faith that removes mountains, and 
wrenches sycamores from their rock-beds ; a faith to 
which nothing is impossible." 

But the last point of this four-fold Gospel is one 
upon which our Christian Alliance friends lay the most 
emphasis, namely 

OUR COMING LORD. 

To them Christ's second coming is certain. They 
are literalists in Scripture study. When Jesus says, 
"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come 
again" they think He means, what the speech conveys. 
They do not understand Him to say, "I will send 
Death, in my stead." They do not even believe that 
Death is the Lord's ambassador, but rather His 
"enemy." They look for His personal appearance. 
When they hear the angels say to the bewildered 



THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL. 155 

disciples, ''Why stand ye looking into heaven? This 
Jesus which was received up from you into heaven, 
shall so come in like manner as ye beheld hini 
going intO' heaven," they believe it, and look for Him 
''to appear the second time, without sin unto salva- 
tion." 

In this circumstance they find an incentive to holy 
living. "Therefore, be ye also ready, for in such an 
hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh" is to 
them a call for righteous conduct, cleanly character, 
faithful service, and affectionate spirit. 

This expectation excites them to missionary en- 
thusiasm. There are those who have said that the pre- 
millennial view of Christ's coming would cut the nerve 
of foreign missions. On the contrary, it has created 
a living interest in this subject, which manifests itself 
in an offering of men and money such as the world 
never saw before. The four-fold Gospel people are, 
without exception, the missionary enthusiasts of our 
century. The rich who believe it have stripped their 
persons of such jewels as were mere adornments, and 
converting the same into silver and gold, have made 
it go about its Master's business. "Gold for iron, for 
the King's sake" is Miss Shepherd's adopted motto; 
and thousands of dollars have come in consequence of 
her conduct in contributing jewels and consenting to 
carry an iron watch, and her call to her well-to-do 
sisters to practice the same. The poor among this 
people have made the most matchless offerings to the 
cause of missions in foreign lands. Tonight, a class 
of working girls in Dr. Simpson's church in New 
York, taught by Mrs. Simpson, his devoted wife, and 
numbering only fifteen, are contributing annually $i,- 



156 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

500 toward sending the Gospel to their heathen sisters ; 
while a domestic in a well-to-do house takes from her 
$40.00 per month salary, $25.00 to support a substitute 
in Darkest Africa. To such an extent is this same 
spirit of sacrifice potent among them, that these watch- 
ers for the coming King have their missionaries, today, 
in every land beneath the sun; and make an offering 
of money that stands sixth in amount, as compared 
with the endeavors of the long-standing and strong 
denominations. 

Dr. Gratton Guiness, who gave us our Congo Mis- 
sion, attributes Paul's missionary enthusiasm to his 
hope of the second coming of Christ, and declares that 
in that expectation the Apostle proved himself the 
prince of missionaries. And he also attributes the zeal 
of Justin Martyr, Irreneus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, 
Lactantius, Methodius, and Victorinus to the same 
cause. They did what they could to fill up "the time 
ot the Gentiles" that the Lord might come. And 
Guiness himself, is a good witness to the effect of this 
faith in creating enthusiasm for missions. He tells 
a story brought out of Ancient History, to demonstrate 
our point. A chieftain fell mortally wounded, on the 
field of battle. He felt the blood ebbing from him; 
and knew he was about to die. Shrinking from the ex- 
perience of going alone into the other world, he said 
to his armor bearer, "Take your sword, fall upon it, 
and go tell the dead I am coming." He would fain 
send a man before him into the dark regions of death 
to notify its inhabitants of his speedy appearance ; and 
Jesus Christ, the risen One, bids us do the same, "Go 
tell the dead world; go tell the dead church; tell the 
dead, that I am coming." Guiness says, "Let us do it 



THB FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL. 157 

in His name. Tell the dead ! Tell the unsaved ! Tell 
the slumbering and indifferent! And tell to. all your 
voice can reach, Jesus Christ is coming! He is com- 
ing to save His ovv^n people out of the world ; and to 
judge the unbelieving in righteousness !" 

I believe in this four-fold Gospel ! And I want to 
employ its last article — The Coming Christ — as a call 
to repentance and preparation. The day is not far 
distant when "there shall appear the sign of the Son 
of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the 
earth mourn. And they shall see the Son of Man 
coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great 
glory. And" He shall send forth His angels with a 
great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather to- 
gether His elect from the four winds, from one end 
of heaven to the other." It will be a glorious day for 
God's own. Those that are ready when the Bride- 
groom cometh "will go in with Him to the marriage 
feast." But if He should come tonight, those who are 
not ready might cry in vain, "Lord, Lord, open to us," 
for His only answer would be, "Verily I say untO' you, 
I know you not." 

Alfred Tennyson, in his poem "The Foolish Vir- 
gins," from the "Idyls of the King" has spoken things 
that ought to stir the slumbering hearts of impenitent 
men; that ought to rouse to action those half-disposed 
to accept the Son of God; that ought to decide once 
for all them that are not far from the Kingdom; for 
Tennyson's poem contains a terrible suggestion touch- 
ing the dangers of delay. 

"Late, late, so late ! and dark the night and chill, 
Late, late, so late; but we can enter still. 
Too late, too late! Ye cannot enter now. 



158 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

No light had we: for that we do repent; 
And learning this, the bridegroom will relent. ^ 
Too late, too late! Ye cannot enter now. 

No light ; so late ! and dark and chill the night ! 
O let us in, that we may find the light ! 

Too late, too late! Ye cannot enter now. 

Have we not heard the bridegroom is so sweet? 
O, let us in, though late, to kiss his feet! 
No, no, too late ! Ye cannot enter now." 



XI. 

Ikeswtcftism: or, Sanctity tbe Secret 
of Success^ 

"Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but 
tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with 
power from on high," Luke 24:49. 

IN the subject of this evening's discussion, we may- 
be guilty of coining a term — "Keswickism ;" and 
yet, I am sure, that the prominence which the Keswick 
movement has assumed, justifies us in so doing. It 
is not to be understood, however, that by making an 
"Ism" of this, we mean to class it with the most of 
those which have heretofore been discussed, for with 
many of them, it has practically nothing in common. 
On the contrary, your speaker believes that it illus- 
trates, rather, a return to the "law and to the testi- 
mony." But the movement has taken on such definite 
shape, and stands so specifically for the emphasis of 
certain great doctrines of the Word, that it may justly 
be considered as a distinct form of religious thought 
and life; and hence worthy a terminology of its own. 
Dr. Arthur T. Pierson, whom Prof. Johnson, of 
Crozer Theological Seminary, styles, "Its ablest Amer- 
ican advocate," tells us that all religious advance "finds 
its starting point, as also its goal, in more conformity 
to God." "Like a bold headland at sea, with its light- 
house to guide the mariner, stand in the survey of the 

159 



160 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

past fifty years, the singularly varied attempts to raise 
the standard of practical godhness, sometimes called 
"Holiness Movements." Under different names and 
from divers sources, like mingling streams merged 
into one flood, the current has been in one direction." 

And, while Dr. Pierson calls attention to, and nar- 
rates the history of the great forward movements of the 
last half century, commending each of them in its 
turn, and showing how it has been used of God to keep 
life in the church-bent on suicide ; and pure religion 
in the world where darkness would otherwise reign 
supreme — he gives the most prominence to this "Kes- 
wick movement," and shows how it has been a voice 
in the wilderness, calling Israel to repentance, re- 
nunciation of self, cessation from sin, appropriation 
of the promises by faith, separation for service, and 
enduement with power. And, after having read his 
volume along with that of Prof. Johnson, I am frank ' 
to confess that Pierson appeals to me as a good student 
of the Word of God, whose spirit is in tune with the 
demands of Scripture, and whose heart is set upon 
higher living and holier service; while Johnson seems 
to be presenting a defense of self, in that he has failed 
to see the truths emphasized at Keswick, or fears the 
attempt of their translation into daily life and conduct. 

But you are more interested in the subject of Kes- 
wickism itself than in any controversies that have 
originated from it. 

Permit me, therefore, to state, 

THE ORIGIN OF KESWICKISM. 

It zvus horn in the breast of an Amel^ican believer. 
It is also noticeable that this believer was a layman 
and not a minister. The power of God, is never de- 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 1 61 

pendent upon professionalism, but wherever He finds 
a man who is willing to be the subject of His grace, 
He makes him also its medium. In Pearsall Smith 
and his admirable wife, Hannah Whithall Smith. He 
found such subjects. While they yet walked with 
God, they kindled a flame in this countr}^ and 
started a conflagration in England. Conventions 
were held on both sides of the sea, beginning in 
a small way, in many instances, about the year 
1873, and by 1874-5 , calling together thousands 
in single gatherings — thereby illustrating the fact 
that such success must have a secret. That God 
was with Smith, and using him has appealed to me 
as the more evident, in that these meetings were 
not created by extensive and expensive preparation; 
they were not heralded from Dan to Beersheba by the 
press. Pierson calls attention to the fact that the pro- 
gram even, has never been published, and distributed 
for the sake of exciting public interest in the speakers 
or topics. And yet, at Broadlands, Oxford, Brighton, 
Dublin, Manchester, Nottingham, Leicester, Cam- 
bridge, London, Keswick, and many other points of 
importance, these conferences have occurred. And, 
though they commonly last for days at a time, the in- 
terest in them has risen like the tide of a stream that 
has its source in the snow-covered mountains, exposed 
to a melting sun. 

The first effects of Smith's work in this country 
are those that commonly attend the evangelistic en- 
deavor of a consecrated man of God ; but their present 
— and most prominent effects — are seen in conferences 
after the order of Northfield, including that mighty 
product of Moody's sagacity and sanctity. 



162 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

Keszmck is headquarters for this work in England. 
It is a town of Cumberland, England, on the south 
bank of the Greta, some twenty-four miles from 
Carlisle, and having a population of from 3,000 to 
4,000. It is located in the lake district. It has, there- 
fore, peculiar advantages for a summer assembly. 
And, as Pierson remarks, "It is forever famous by as- 
sociation with Coleridge, Southey, and the poets of 
the Lake School. Keswick's vale is unsurpassed for 
picturesque beauty and fascinating scenery." It is 
hard for some of us to imagine how it could ever sur- 
pass Northfield in this matter; but refreshing to re- 
member that both Keswick and Northfield are not 
known for their beautiful location ; are nothing, con- 
sidered from a commercial standpoint; are not even 
famed as great literary centers— although each of them 
has provided the best stimulus to literary life; but 
they are known the world round for the Conventions 
they call together annually, in the name of Christ. 
There are larger conventions than these, occuring al- 
most every week in the year, in cities by the score ; and 
the solitary reason why Keswick and Northfield hold 
such eminence in the thought of modern churchmen, 
is because the attendants come away declaring that 
these conferences have actually resulted in deepening 
of the spiritual life. 

Theodore Monod, author of 'The Altered Motto" 

"Oh! the bitter shame and sorrow 

That a time could ever be, 

When I let the Saviour's pity 
Plead in vain, and proudly answered, 

'All of self and none of Thee,,'" 

writing concerning the Keswick Conference held at 
Broadlands, says, "The difference between those 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 163 

Broadlands meetings and many others that I have 
attended is just the difference between a flower and 
the name of a flower. Christians too often meet only 
to talk about good and precious things : peace, joy, 
love, and so on; but there we actually had the very 
things themselves. I cannot be grateful enough to 
God for having led me into such a soul-satisfying and 
God-glorifying faith." 

This movement was the resultant of spiritual 
lethargy in both land's. It seems to me a fact that 
when the church life reaches its lowest ebb, then, our 
God always raises up some man to lift afresh the stand- 
ard of holy living, and call men from dead ceremonials 
to a life-giving Word. 

It was lethargy that accounted for the work of 
WicHf, Hus, Savonarola, Melancthon, Luther, Knox, 
Calvin, Wesley, Edwards, Finney; and, I beheve, to- 
day, that the most godly men known to the ministry, 
or the laity, are, as a rule, men in revolt from the 
lethargy that lays like a pall upon the church at large. 
Prof. Johnson seems to feel that all these holiness 
movements have passed away, so far as their ability to 
fill the public eye is concerned ; and that their very de- 
parture evidences their unscripturalness. On the con- 
trary, let it be remembered that nothing is so difficult 
to sustain as life ; nothing more easy than death. And, 
I believe, that but for these movements, the church 
at large would have been lifeless. One of the encour- 
aging signs of the present time is in the Keswick 
movement, — the movement of the Salvation Army, — 
in the work of the Christian AlHance people; and in 
the Bible Conference Assemblies, held throughout the 
breadth and length of this land — all hear that same 



164 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

call. Distributed through the different denominations, 
they are seeking by various ways to accomplish the 
one end — the deepening of the spiritual life — and that 
is the crowning object of Keswickism. 

In order to appreciate that fact thoroughly we must 
consider further 

THE IDEAS EMPHASIZED AT KESWICK. 

They are seven. Whether this number was se- 
lected by the leaders of this movement because so often 
employed in the Bible, and supposed to signify per- 
fectness ; or whether, because these steps were each re- 
garded indispensable, and all of them together ade- 
quate to the highest Christian living, I do not know. 
Doubtless the advocates of Keswickism would say the 
latter. But these seven steps are recorded by the Kes- 
wick brethren as successive stages in the evolution of 
the ideal Christian life. 

First of all ''Immediate abandonment of every 
known sin, doubtful indulgence, or conscious hin- 
drance to holy living.'' In emphasis of this demand 
they appeal to the Word ''Let not sin, therefore, reign 
in your mortal body, that ye shall obey it in the lusts 
thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instru- 
ments of unrighteousness unto sin ; but yield your- 
selves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, 
and your members as instruments of righteousness un- 
to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you." 
(Rom. 6:12-14). In the same epistle Paul says, 'Tut 
ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision 
for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." Rom. 13:14- 

To be sure a man may sin unconsciously, and 
the Keswick brethren take not of this also, and teach 
not sinless perfection, but the abandonment of every 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OP SUCCESS. 165 

known sin, or conscious hindrance. Surely in this, 
they are in line with Paul, who touching the ques- 
tion of ceremonies, such as eating, saith, "He 
that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he 
eateth not of faith; for whatsoever is not of faith is 
sin." I like the sweeping demand — "the abandonment, 
of every known sin." There are all too many people 
in the churches of God who have their petty vices that 
they not only propose to keep, but actually attempt to 
defend. I met a so-called preacher sometime since, 
who claimed the right to, take a drink of liquor, pro- 
vided he remained temperate. I meet not a few who 
claim the right to use tobacco, although they know 
well the dangerous effects of nicotine upon both the 
moral character and the physical man. The opinion 
seems to prevail that if we can down the large in- 
iquities, we may let the little ones live, without in any 
wise endangering ourselves. I never think along this 
line but I am reminded of a bit of history. Cyrus was 
a great warrior and conquerer; the mightiest leaders 
of his time fell before his face. Like Alexander the 
Great he pined for new lands to conquer. And yet, 
he perished by the hand of some unknown barbarians 
on the northeast boundary of his Empire, a people 
who had been held in contempt — so far as any threat- 
ening danger from that source was concerned. 

Paul probably had the little sins in mind when he 
said, "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about 
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside 
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us 
(the sin in good standing), and let us run with 
patience the race that is before us." (Heb. 12 :i). 

Keswickism stands also for a ''surrender of the 



166 VAGARIES AND VERITIES, 

will and the whole being to Jesus Christ as not only 
Saviour, hut Master and Lord, in loving and complete 
obedience." That is what Paul meant when he wrote 
to the Romans "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by 
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a liv- 
ing sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your 
reasonable service." (Heb. 12:1). To the Corin- 
thians he wrote, "No man can say Jesus the Lord, 
but in the Holy Spirit." (i Cor. 12:3). The plain 
inference is that tho' one call Him "Lord, Lord" he 
would not be implicitly obedient unto Him, until God's 
Spirit has accomplished in him that disposition. And 
when the brethren of the Keswick movement call for 
the complete surrender to Jesus as to their Saviour 
and Lord, they are not asking us to make this sur- 
render by the will of the tlesh, but rather through the 
work of the Holy Ghost. Peter appealed to those to 
whom he addressed his epistle, saying, "Sanctify 
Cnrist as Lord in your hearts." R. V. There are 
few writers more capable of setting before us the 
meaning of self-surrender than is Andrew Murray. 
His volumes are clear teaching upon this point, and 
his life illustrates the practicability of his teachings. 
In answer to the question, as to what is meant by ab- 
solute surrender, Murray answers, "It means that just 
as literally as Christ was given up entirely to God, 
I am given up entirely to Christ." Is that too strong? 
Some think so; some think that can never be; that 
just as entirely as Christ gave up His life to do noth- 
ing but seek .the Father's pleasure, and depend on the 
Father absolutely, I am to do nothing but seek the 
pleasure of Christ." 

President Edwards declared of his dedication to 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 167 

God, "I have given myself; all that I am, and have, 
so that I am in no respect my own. I can challenge 
no right in myself; in this understanding, this will, 
these affections. Neither have I right to this body, or 
any of its members — no right to these hands, these 
feet, these eyes, these ears — I have given myself clean 
away." There are those who will start back from 
such a thought as if it involved self-loss, and was the 
embodiment of moral madness. On the contrary. Dr. 
Moule spake the truth known to the experiences of 
men who live godly lives in Christ Jesus, when he said, 
"To be a bond servant is terrible in the abstract. To 
be Jesus Christ's bondservant is Paradise in the con- 
crete." "Self-surrender taken alone, is a plunge into 
a cold void — when it is surrender to the Son of God, 
who loved me and gave Himself for me," it is the 
bright home-coming of the soul to the seat and 
sphere of life and power." The prophet is not so 
much making a demand upon us as pointing out our 
privileges when he says, "Yield yourselves unto God." 

Keswickism sets forth for its third step ''Appro- 
priation by faith of God's promise and power fof holy 
living/' Surely here their appeal to the Scripture is 
neither far-fetched nor vain. When Paul was writ- 
ing to the Romans, concerning that marvelous man 
Abraham, he said, to his credit, "He staggered not at 
the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong 
in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded 
that what He had promised He was able to perform." 

There is a wonderful passage in the book of Acts 
touching the reception of the Holy Ghost by the con- 
verted Gentiles, of which experience Paul says, "God 
which knoweth the heart, bear them witness, giving 



168 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

them (the converted Gentiles) the Holy Ghost, even 
as He did unto us. And He made no difference be- 
tween us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." 

I have often thought that we have had in our own 
denomination, a man who illustrates this third point 
of the Keswick teaching. Dr. Pierson says, "Among 
all the leaders of this holiness movement, we regard 
one, hitherto unnoticed as such, as unsurpassed in his 
way — the late and widely mourned Adoniram J. Gor- 
don. Without ever talking much about it, or even 
thinking of himself as an example or advocate of a 
holy life, he lived what many others taught, and walked 
while they talked. Never has the writer known any 
man in Arrierica whose crystalline beauty and sym- 
metry and transparency of spirit surpassed his. How 
far Dr. Gordon taught holiness is seen in his books on 
the "Twofold Life," the "Ministry of the Spirit," 
"How Christ Came to Church," etc. But how he 
lived holiness, only those know, who daily enjoyed his 
companionship, and saw his face shine with the beauty 
of the Lord, that was upon him." But who questions 
that this came in consequence of Gordon's appropria- 
tion by faith, of God's promise and power for holy 
living. 

''Voluntary renunciation and mortification of the 
self-life, thai centers in self-indkdgence and self-de- 
pendence, that God may be all in air — is the fourth 
secret of sanctity, according to the teachers of Kes- 
wickism. They believe that one of the greatest foes 
of the soul is found in the self-life, which is only an- 
other name for the flesh ; and they contend that only 
as Self is crucified, and the Son of God is enthroned in 
the heart as Ruler over all of its emotions and affec- 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 169 

tions, can a man make progress toward the highest 
Christian life. Is that what Paul meant when he 
wrote to the Galatians, "For I, through the law, am 
dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am 
crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, 
but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live 
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, 
who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (2 :ig-2o). 
Is it what he meant again, when to the Colossians he 
said, "Mortify therefore your members which are up- 
on the earth." Or when he wrote to the Corinthians 
"He died for all, that they which live should not 
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which 
died for them, and rose again." (5:15). 

If so, human experience is in perfect accord with 
the inspired teaching. There never has been such a 
thing existing as a self-centered yet sanctified man. I 
heard, a while ago, a very godly man indeed, one 
whom I believe to be growing daily in likeness to 
Jesus Christ, and upon whom, unquestionably, the 
Spirit has been pleased to bestow some power, de- 
clare that the bane of his ministry has been self-seek- 
ing. Who among us but has felt the sting of the 
same? Who of us ever read or heard sung Monod's 
hymn but were smitten by the sentences : 

"Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow 

That a time could ever be, 
When I proudly said to Jesus, 

'All of self, and none of Thee.' 

Yet He found me; I beheld Him 

Bleeding on the accursed tree; 
And my wistful heart said faintly, 

'Some of self, and some of Thee.' 

Day by day His tender mercy, 
Healing, helping, full and free, 



170 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

Bro't me lower, while I whispered, 
'Less of self, and more of Thee.' 

Higher than the highest heavens, 

Deeper than the deepest sea, 
Lord Thy love at last has conquered 

'None of self, and all of Thee.' " 

The fifth step, while apparently not so important, 
from the standpomt of Scripture, is, after all, one of 
wonderful witness in practical Hfe. Namely: Gra- 
cious renewal or transformation of the inmost temper 
and disposition. I believe that the fifth step is properly 
included in the foregoing; that the man whose temper 
is evil is not abandoning every known sin ; that the man 
whose disposition is anything short of surrender, by so 
far has he failed to appropriate by faith God's 
power for holy living; and also has failed, in so 
far, of "voluntary renunciation and mortification of 
the self-life." And 3^et, I am not sorry that the 
Keswick brethren have laid emphasis upon this. Per- 
sonally I need their message. One of the weakest 
points of my Christian character, as I submit that to 
examination, is just here. I find, with not a few of my 
brethren, the same baneful failure. And yet, we can 
never remind the world of Jesus Christ, or be potent 
epistles of His religion until we are possessed of the 
same temper and disposition that differentiated Him ; 
until we be "transformed by the renewing of our 
minds, that we may prove what is that acceptable 
will of God" ; until we be renewed in spirit and mind. 
Peter knew the power of such a disposition, when in 
his epistle, he wrote, regarding adornments, "Let it be 
the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not cor- 
ruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 171 

which is, in the sight of God, of great price. ( i Pet. 

3:4). 

The Keswick movement is certainly one that 
waxes, for each succeeding step seems even more im- 
portant than its predecessor. 

Their sixth suggestion is this, "Separation unto 
God fat sanctification, consecration and service. The 
doctrine of separation is as old as Israel itself, — it was 
a law of God touching their attitude to the heathen 
round about; and, so far as fellowship is concerned, 
the same law was emphasized in New Testament 
teaching. Paul writes to the Corinthians, ''Be ye not 
unequally yoked together with unbelievers ; for what 
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? 
And what communion hath light with darkness ? And 
what accord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part 
hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what 
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For 
ye are the temple of the living God ; as God hath said, 
I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be 
their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore 
come out from among them., and be ye separate, saith 
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will 
receive you." (2 Cor. 6:14-17) And His demand 
for sanctification is equallv urgent, "Let every one that 
nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But 
in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and 
of silver, but also of wood and of earth ; and some 
to honor and some to dishonor. If a man, there- 
fore, purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel 
unto honor, sanctified, and meat for the Master's use, 
and prepared unto every good Vv'ork. Flee also youth- 
ful lusts ; but follow righteousness, faith, charity, 



172 VAGARIBSAND VERITIES. 

peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure 

heart." (2 Timothy 2 :i9-22). 

Service is the Christians watch-word. Few phrases 

in the New Testament are more often employed than 

"Servant of the Lord." None was more popular in the 

Old Testament Scripture. The reason is at hand; we 

are saved to serve. No wonder Frances Havergal 

wrote : 

"Jesus came, 
And laid His own hand on the quivering heart, 
And made it very still, that He might write 
Invisible words of power — 'Free to serve.' 
Let Him write what He will upon our hearts 
With His unerring pen. 
The tearful eye at first may read the line — 
'Bondage to grief!' but He shall wipe away 
The tears, and clear the vision till it read 
In ever-brightening letters — 'Free to serve!' 
For whom the Son makes free is free indeed ! 

Then let it be 
The note of our lives until we stand 
In the great Freedom of Eternity, 
For ever and forever — 'Free to serve.' " 

The sixth step prepares us for the seventh — ''En- 
duement with power and infilling with^ the Holy 
Spirit, the believer claiming his share in the Pente- 
costal gift." If any man wishes to say that this prom- 
ise was made specifically for the apostles and dis- 
ciples of Jesus time, and has no reference to present- 
day saints, it is useless to dispute with him; and still 
more so to expect any effective service from him. So 
far as I know, there has not been a man, in ancient or 
modern times, remarkable for the pentecosts produced 
by his preaching, but has claimed the promise of this 
night's text, and, believing, has been blessed. It is 
only seven or eight years ago, when the missionaries 
in Uganda, were discouraged and disheartened. They 
had preached much, but evidently were without power. 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 173 

Finally a Chief, who had professed conversion, came 
to them and said, "I want to publicly renounce Chris- 
tianity. I was far happier as I was in the old days ; I 
find I get no benefit from my religion." And this 
apostate sent the missionaries on a tour of self-inspec- 
tion ; and, in a search through the Word of God, they 
saw what men filled with the Holy Ghost had done in 
Jesus' day; and they also saw the promise of power 
to them who wait until He should come upon them in 
power. They confessed their sins and claimed this 
promise. A revival, such as Uganda had never wit- 
nessed, broke out. The would-be-apostate resigned his 
political office, and turned preacher of the Word ; and 
hundreds of men were born unto God; and we are 
told that so overwhelming was the sense of spiritual 
baptism, that the natives said, "Joy is going to kill us." 
A few words now on 

THE APPARENT RESULT OF THIS PREACHING. 

Prof. Johnson, in his little volume, "The Highest 
Life" engages in a work of supererrogation, when he 
points to the "Holiness Movement" of the past, declar- 
ing them failures ; and tells Keswick people that the 
ardor of their movement has now worn itself out; 
and he feels sent of God to hang out a beacon light 
in the night, to toll the doleful bells to keep these 
brethren from going, like their predecessors, on the 
rocks. He would do vastly better to go abroad with 
them and enjoy the breath that has filled the canvas 
of this company of saints. 

The ministry of these men has been mightily im- 
proved. F. B. Meyer claims that his success began 
only when he saw this teaching in the Word of God, 
and opened every part of his soul to the incoming of 



174 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

the Holy Spirit, after having taken the sixth step, pre- 
liminary to his "infilling of the Holy Spirit." Surely 
the later ministry of Meyer requires explanation. Dr. 
Gordon beheved these doctrines every one. What 
American Pastor has been such a model ? A. T. Pier- 
son has already been called their "ablest advocate." 
Who in the last half century has done so much for 
missions ? Dwight L. Moody adopted them, and 
transported their leading teachers to his Northfield 
Institute. Where is the man holding their views that 
God has not been pleased tO' use in such an evangeliza- 
tion ? 

R. F. Horton in "Verbum Dei," says, "A preacher's 
sermons are only fragments of himself, and when his 
best efforts to exhibit the truth have apparently failed, 
the failure is really retrieved because every one knows 
the man that was behind the effort. He preaches the 
atonement and there is more than one fault of logic 
in his explanation, but he is so obviously at one with 
God, himself, that the severest critic inclines to follow 
his way, if not the use of his arguments." 

Ah ! to be one with God ! to wait until He, by His 
Holy Spirit, is actually Come upon us. That is at once 
the secret of successful ministry, and the lack of it the 
explanation of ministers that fail. God forgive us ! 

Chufches served by these ministers have been 
quickened and transformed. So far as my knowledge 
goes there is not a man among them who has been in 
the pulpit, but he has brought his people to a higher 
degree of hving; to ardor of soul-winning, at home 
and abroad. And, so far as I know, there is not a man 
of them whose audiences have dwindled and died un- 
der the declaration of these truths. Henry Van Dyke 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 175 

gives us this picture that is not exceptional in Eng- 
land, "I have seen in the little English city of Salis- 
bury the great cathedral. It was built when a flood 
tide of religious enthusiasm was sweeping over the 
world. Thousands might worship, thousands have 
worshipped within that splendid fane, and its walls 
were not able to contain the great flood of devotion. 
But the tide has ebbed; the ecstatic vision has faded. 
The mighty cathedral stands; but a handful of wor- 
shippers can scarcely keep a sleepy rivulet of praise 
flowing in a corner of the building." 

What is the picture produced by their teaching ; by 
that for which the Keswick brethren stand? Their 
audiences have grown from a few to the hundreds, 
and in many instances to thousands, instead — break- 
ing out of the walls of the Cathedral and congregating 
in the open air in vast assemblies — because men and 
women believe their Keswick brethren are breaking 
unto them the Bread of Life. 

They have not called these people together by the 
announcement of sensational topics, for they announce 
none; they have not called them together by giving 
the so-called Sacred Concert, for congregational sing- 
ing, with a chorister, is the common custom with them ; 
they have not called them together on the plan of pew- 
rents and exclusive society, for their churches are free 
and the people are alike welcome, whether they be rich 
or poor, high or low. The house of God in which 
John Hus preached was called ''Bethlehem Chapel" 
or, translated back into old Hebrew, it would mean 
we know, "House of Bread." And it was because 
John Hus there broke the Bread of Life to the hungry 
that such scores came to listen. I believe that the sue- 



176 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

cess of the Keswick brethren to-day is solely due to 
the fact that their churches have been literally changed 
into houses of Bread. 

Soul winning is more and more proving a result of 
tnis Spirit-baptized Hving. Arthur Pierson, in his 
volume entitled ''Forward Movements of the Last 
Half Century" describes the revivals that have broken 
out as a result of these conferences, calling attention 
to the fact that multitudes of Pastors visiting them, 
have gone home to see a worK of grace begin at once 
with their own people. Why should it not be so? 
When Peter and the other disciples received the 
Spirit, three thousand were saved in a day; when 
Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost there was some- 
thing better done than a proper division of the poor 
fund, "The Word of God increased and the number 
of the disciples was multiplied in Jerusalem exceed- 
ingly, and a company of priests were obedient unto 
the faith." "Men were not able to resist the wisdom 
and Spirit by which he spake." When Phillip, the 
Spirit-filled man, went down to the city of Samaria 
and spoke unto them "The people with one accord gave 
heed unto the things which Phillip spake, hearing 
and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean 
spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that 
were possessed with them; and many taken with pal- 
sies and that were lame, were healed, and there was 
great joy in that city." 

When Paul and Barnabas were sent, both by the 
Spirit, pentecosts were everywhere in their wake. 
Who dares say it is not so now ? Ah, friend, more and 
more I feel that your destiny depends upon my loyal- 
ty to God and my familiarity with his Word ; and my 



SANCTITY THE SECRET OF SUCCESS. 177 

baptism by His Spirit. Pray for me that I may preach 
the truth as it is in Jesus, so present Him as your 
Saviour from sin and all its baneful effects, that ye 
shall seek Him out and receive His healing touch. 
A naturalist was at one time a witness to a conflict be- 
tween a poison spider and an insect. He noticed that 
every time the insect was bitten it retreated at once 
to the leaf of a plant near by, and, settling down upon 
it, sucked it; was revived by the juices, and returned 
to the contest refreshed. After a bit this man took 
away the leaf just to see what the effect would be, and 
when the poor wounded thing came in search of it and 
could not find it, seeing that the poison's antidote was 
gone, it struggled feebly and died. 

Who could read this report without being re- 
minded of the fact that his fellows all about were be- 
ing bitten and destroyed by the Adversary, and that 
Jesus, the Plant of Renown, is alone able to remove 
venom and renew our strength. Ah, that to-night 
God by His Holy Spirit would be pleased to use me 
to so preach Jesus that you should see in Him your 
salvation from the wound of the enemy ; and betaking 
yourselves to Him to become more than victorious 
against this adversary of the soul. 



XII. 

pertectionism: or, Ube ff allure to practice 
One's IPreacbluG* 

"All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that ob- 
serve and do : but do not ye after their works : for they say, 
and do not." Matthew 23 :3. 

PROF. E. H. Johnson's "The Highest Life," is 
not a work of first merit, because it deals with 
theological questions from the stanpoint of a meta- 
physician rather than that of a good student of 
the Word. And yet, in this little book he has called 
attention to quite a few of the present-day tendencies 
to teach doctrines which are not only beyond possible 
practice, but some of which have little biblical basis. 
He says, "A Century and a half ago the highest life 
was enthusiastically preached as a state of 'deliverance 
from all sin.' Freedom from outward offence and 
inward defilement was said to be quite within reach. 
Of course such a claim started a dispute ; but for a full 
hundred years Sinless Perfection was what would be 
thought of, if entire sanctification was urged. Within 
the last fifty years other ways of thinking, on the part 
of those who have this matter at heart, have drawn 
to themselves more general notice. The elder notion 
has by no means been given up, but it no longer fills 
the public eye; and now at length, outside of what 
seem narrowing circles, little show is made by the once 
zealously presented idea of Sinless Perfection." 

178 



A 



FAILURE TO PRACTICE ONE'S PREACHING. 179 

There are certain sections of the country where 
this doctrine still holds a multitude of advocates. In 
a little city in central Ohio, something more than a 
year ago, I saw, on the outskirts, the camp grounds of 
the ''holiness" people; and, in numerous drives about 
the city, v/e discovered that the board fences, the 
barns and even the trees were placarded with Bible 
texts touching the idea emphasized in their annual as- 
sembly, that read after this manner, "Our old man is 
crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be 
destroyed." ''That hence forth ye should not serve 
sin ;" "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh 
with the affections and lusts." (Gal. 5:24); "Let us 
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and 
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Cor. 
7:1) ; "I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye 
shall be clean from all filthiness" (Ezek. 36:35) ; "He 
that committeth sin is of the Devil" (i John 3:9); 
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth 
not," etc., etc. Afterwards at Cleveland, in a Bible 
Conference, I listened to an address by one of the 
leaders of this "holiness" camp. And, as he referred 
to the doctrines, he impressed his auditors with the 
idea that even though it may have passed somewhat 
from the public eye, it was none the less precious to 
its advocates, and they were none the less ardent in its 
declaration. 

Dr. Johnson calls attention to the fact that the 
Methodist people have furnished the mighty multi- 
tude of the followers of this idea. He says one of its 
zealous advocates calls it "the great distinguishing 
doctrine of Methodism." But, we know full well that 
the majority of our Methoaist brethren have always 



180 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

opposed and repudiated the teaching. And yet, with 
the ardent ''Brethren" those Methodists beheving this 
way, urged upon every church and upon every au- 
dience, granting them a hearing, the beauty and ne- 
cessity of sinless perfection. In Bloomington, 111., I 
met a young women who had been brought up by 
Methodist parents, hut having heard much of this 
peculiar teaching, finally professing faith, united with 
the Episcopal Church. She announced to me her rea- 
son for this proceedure, that she was afraid she could 
not live "a. perfect life." I might say in passing, that 
she meant no reflection on Episcopalians, but did in- 
tend to voice her fears touching the attainments to 
which certain of her Methodist folks had called her. 

In speaking to you concerning this subject I want 
to raise three questions. 

First — What is Perfection? — Second — Who are 
the Perfect ? Third — What are the Prospects ? 

WHAT IS PERFECTION? 

It is more easy to discuss this subject from the 
negative than from the positive side ; more easy to tell 
the things a man must avoid if he would be perfect, 
than it is to put forth catalogue of the virtues he must 
practice if he would be the same. And not only is this 
the more easy task, but I believe, would provide a more 
satisfactory discussion. Consequently I will speak to 
that side of the subject. 

The man who would be perfect must escape trans- 
gression. The Bible says ''sin is a transgression of 
the law." The transgressor therefore, is a sinner, and 
not a sinless saint. According to Jesus Christ, trans- 
gression may exist in thought or desire as surely as 
in the overt act. Read for yourselves what He has 



FAILURE TO PRACTICE ONE'S PREACHING. 181 

to say in Matthew 5 121-28 In the rendition of the 
Revised Version of Proverbs 24:29, is this "The 
thought of the fooHsh is sin." James tells us in his 
epistle, 3 :2, "If any man offend not in word the same 
is a perfect man." But I thmk we must understand 
by "word" here, not merely its expression but its en- 
tertainment. Who among us, therefore, whether he be 
churchman or worldling, acknowledged sinner or sup- 
posed saint, can say with the deluded young ruler, 
touching the commands of the Lord, "All these have I 
kept from my youth up." Aye, more, who of us can 
say, "I am now keeping them perfectly, being a trans- 
gressor in nothing." Look back over your life for this 
day and ask how you have behaved before God. Is it 
free from all transgression, little as well as large? 
There are many people, who, when they think of 
transgression at all, deem it a word to express the 
violation of some important sacred or civil law, such 
that society is both insulted and injured by the act. 
But are there not lesser transgressions known only to 
yourself and God, possibly to your most intimate 
friend, that are still to be reckoned as transgressions? 
You remember in "Gulliver's Travels" the giant awoke 
to find himself pinned to the ground with threads so 
small that they were invisible, and literally covered by 
enemies so tiny that no one of them could in himself 
prove a dangerous foe. And sometimes I think that 
those men who have made a splendid degree of pro- 
gress in sanctification, are not yet rid of Lilliputian 
sins. But if we would be perfect, we must not sin in 
act, word or thought. 

Again, perfection requires that no failures char- 
acterise our conduct. Did you ever think of the mean- 



182 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

ing of Jesus' answer to the rich young ruler, "If thou 
wilt he perfect, go and sell all that thou hast and give 
to the poor." Your riches represent your abilities ; the 
poverty stricken about you exist as opportunities for 
you ! Have you filled up the measure of the perfect 
man? Now here was a man who had just said, touch- 
ing the laws of God, "All these have I kept from my 
youth up," "what lack I yet?" But who, when he 
heard the proposition of Jesus, "went away sorrow- 
ful, for he had great possessions." Did you ever 
think of the parable of Dives and Lazarus — a rich 
man in torment, not because he had transgressed the 
Ten Commandments, but because he had failed to keep 
the eleventh, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 
Did you ever think of Jesus' description of the final 
judgment, as written into the latter part of the 25th 
chapter of Matthew, "Depart from me ye cursed into 
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ; 
For I was a hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I 
was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a 
stranger, and ye took me not in ; naked, and ye clothed 
me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 
Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when 
saw we thee a hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or 
naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto 
thee? Then shall he answer them, saying. Verily I 
say unto you. Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the 
least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall 
go away into everlasting punishment." 

I frankly confess that even when I know that I 
have not transgressed one of the Ten Commandments, 
in act or thought, I am still face to face with the fear, 
in fact, with the consciousness that I have not filled up 



FAILURE TO PRACTICE ONE'S PREACHING. 183 

the full measure of my opportunities, and hence am not 
free from sin. 

A. E. Barnes-Lawrence, in his volume, "Secrets of 
Sanctity," says, "In North America the Indians play 
a game in which a hoop is rolled before a line of ex- 
pectant braves. Each poises his spear, and as the 
hoop, passes tries to fling his weapon through the fly-, 
ing circle. He who fails is called in Indian dialect, 
"a sinner." In our case the mark is the glory of God. 
"He that misseth Me sinneth against his own soul." 
(Prov. 8:36). And he tells the story of a Christian 
man entertaining and advocating, "no transgression" 
views, and who on one occasion, was telling how for 
a considerable period of time he had not committed a 
sin. A Quaker present, said, "That is very high at- 
tainment. Dost thou think that thou art thankful 
enough to God?" "No indeed I am not" he replied. 
"Then friend, thou hast sinned," was the unanswer- 
able retort. Ingratitude is surely an iniquity ! As the 
Psalmist thought along this line ne had occasion to 
say, "I have seen the end of all perfection." 

And yet more, the perfect man must not he guilty 
of acts attributable to ignorance. The most of the 
acts of ignorance are iniquitous. That catechism 
which defines sin as "doing what I did not know to 
be wrong" gives a defective definition. Sin is some- 
times doing what I didn't know to be wrong. In the 
Old Testament there was a special sacrifice appointed 
for those who had committed iniquity "unwittingly." 
In the New Testament Christ says, "That servant 
which knew his Lord's will ana prepared not himself, 
neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with 
many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit 



184 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few 
stripes." His judgment is softened, but his sin is 
not altogether excused. Paul brings out the same 
idea in relating his experience in coming to Christ. He 
says, ''I was a blasphemer and a persecutor, and in- 
jurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignor- 
antly in unbelief." Mark the word, "Mercy," not ex- 
cusing these sins, though they were committed in 
ignorance. And if it be true that a man out of Christ 
is held to account for his acts of ignorance, is it not 
also true that the man ''in Christ," who, through 
ignorance, sins, comes short of the holiness of God, 
short of that perfection which some have professed? 

Paul, in his epistle to the Corinthians 4:4, says, 
"I know nothing against myself, yet am I not hereby 
justified." And if I could sit down to-night and 
take account of this day's conduct, to say of it all "I 
see no deficiency in it" that would in no wise guarantee 
the assertion that I had left the day without sin. With 
Solomon we are compelled to cry, ''Who can say I 
have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" 
(Prov. 20:9.) 

But since there is a profession of perfection, I 
raise another question. 

WHO ARE THE PERFECT? 

Perhaps it will be admitted by the "holiness" people 
themselves that we do no injustice when we say that 
"perfection is hardlyi to be looked for' in those who 
disclaim it." This takes the overwhelming majority 
of the church members, at a single sweep. In all my 
acquaintance with Christians I have never yet known 
personally a dozen men who professed sinlessness. 
And I have never known intimately a single one who 



FAILURE TO PRACTICE ONE'S PREACHING. 185 

insisted that he was without spot or stain. Paul, after 
speaking of the progress that he had made in Christ 
Jesus, says, "Not as though I had already attained, 
either were already perfect. But I follow after, if that 
I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended 
of Christ Jesus, Brethren, I count not myself to have 
apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those 
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto 
those things which are before, I press toward the 
mark of the prize of the high-calling of God in Christ 
Jesus." The best people I have known; the most 
faithful, sweet, and saintly have with the Apostle, dis- 
claimed being perfect. And since they know them- 
selves better than others know them, it would be pre- 
sumption indeed for another to profess holiness for 
them. 

I have failed to find it among those zvho declare it. 
Profession is one thing; practice is another, and 
sometimes a very different thing. For instance, Rous- 
seau was a long way from a saint. At one time he 
was a Protestant, at another a Romanist, and wound 
up in the rankest infidelity. After a life of crime and 
debauchery, in which, according to his autobiographer, 
he glorified, he wrote these words, "No man can come 
to the Throne of God and say T am a better man than 
Rousseau'," and the report of his last utterance is to 
this effect, 'Eternal Being, the soul that I am going 
to give thee back, is as pure as it was when it pro- 
ceeded from Thee. Make it a partaker of Thy 
felicity.' " 

It is only a few years ago that Tamil David 
preached in this city a doctrine of holiness that made 
some of us feel extremely our own short comings, and 



186 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

Tamil himself afterwards illustrated that it is one 
thing to preach and another to practice. Mr. Moody 
had occasion for a remark which was common with 
him, ''The nearer a man comes to being sinless, the 
less he says about it." And that were well, since 
John has written, "If we say that we have no sin, we 
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." ( i John 
i:8). 

Who then are the perfect? 

According to the Scriptures there are none. Of 
course in making this assertion, I mean none on earth, 
living in the flesh. Has it never occurred to you that 
that was exactly what the Apostle meant to teach when 
he said of Jesus Christ ''He was tempted in all points 
like as we are, yet without sin." It was His sinlessness 
that differentiated Him from His kind ; it was His sin- 
lessness that argued His Divinity. When He said to 
men "Let him that is without sin cast the first stone" 
the crowd went its way in shame, conscious of guilt. 
But when He put to them the question "Which of 
you convicteth Me of sin ?" they stood in dumb silence, 
having nothing to answer. They knew that a great 
gulf was between Him and them, — namely — the gulf 
of their iniquities. The times upon which we have 
fallen are those that have revived in a measure the 
Gnostic's teaching of sinlessness. Our Christian 
Scientist friends are tellins: us there is no such thing 
as sin ; that it is only an error of thinking ; our mater- 
ialistic scientists are telling us that it is a mere 
mental aberration, due probably to some physical in- 
firmity; while not a few of the "so-called" orthodox, 
are arguing that it is onlv an evidence of partial fail- 
ure in the great struggle for "higher life" that belongs 



FAILURE TO PRACTICE ONE'S PREACHING. 187 

to the whole doctrine of evolution ; until, as Mr. Glad- 
stone said, a few years since, "They appear to have a 
very low estimate both of the quantity and the quality 
of sin; of its amount, spread like a deluge over the 
world; and of the subtlety, intensity, and virulence of 
its nature." 

But, as for me, I am not taking my definitions 
from Christian Scientists ; am not receiving my views 
of doctrine from materialistic scientists ; nor yet, my 
theology from theoristic evolutionists. The Word of 
God, is the end of controversy, and it answers this 
question of who are the perfect, — the Old and New 
Testament agreeing in their testimony. David wrote, 
"There is none that doeth good ; the Lord looked down 
from heaven to the children of men to see if there 
were any that did understand and seek God; they are 
all gone aside ; they are altogether become filthy ; there 
is none that doeth good, no not one." (Psalms 
14:2-3). 

And Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, affirmed, 
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory 
of God." While John carries the argument a step 
further, and makes sin a present experience and not 
a past mishap, insisting "If we say that we have no 
sin, we deceive ourselves." Do you know I don't feel 
so badly about this. If I could once meet a man who 
was a good, happy, healthy specimen of humanity, and 
see in him perfect holiness, I would certainly see in 
him inspiration, and ought to attempt to emmulate his 
example. But the kind that come around teaching 
holiness, have usually excited m me thankfulness that 
their number was no larger ; and I have been tempted 
to say, as Charles Spurgeon did express himself, "I 



188 



VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 



have seen some very lean men who said that they were 
perfectly holy, and I could almost believe that they 
could not sin, for they were like old bits of leather ; 
there did not appear to be anything in them that was 
capable of sinning. I met one of these 'perfeot' breth- 
ren once, and he was just like a piece of sea- weed, 
there was no humanity in him. I like to see a trace of 
humanity somewhere or other about a man, and people 
in general like it, too; they get on better with a man 
who has some human nature in him. Human nature, 
in some respects, is an awful thing ; but when the Lord 
Jesus Christ took it, and joined his own divine nature 
to it. He made a grand thing of it, and human nature 
is a noble thing when it is united to the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Those men who keep themselves to them- 
selves, like hermits, and live a supposed sanctified life 
of self-absorption, are not likely to have any influence 
in the world, or to do good to their fellow creatures. 
You must love the people, and mix with them, if you 
are to be of service to them." 
And so to my last question, 

WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS? 

Perfection is the Christian's destiny. "Beloved it 
doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know 
that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him." That 
is not alone the destiny of man, but that is the Divine 
purpose in the work of grace. The goal of God's 
work is nothing short of perfection. It is written of 
the ascended Christ, *'He gave some apostles ; and 
some, prophets ; and some, evangelists, and some, pas- 
tors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, for 
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body 
of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, 



FAILURE TO PRACTICE ONE'S PREACHING. 189 

and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a per- 
fect man, unto the measure of the stature of the ful- 
ness of Christ." In his epistle to Timothy Paul 
declares, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- 
rection, for instruction in righteousness, that the man 
of God may be perfect." (2 Tim. 3:17). 

That is the ideal for which the saints are to strug- 
gle. What a good man ought to be is always ahead 
of what he is. We could do little else than count it a 
misfortune if we found ourselves having measured out 
life's ideal before we lived out half our days. A few 
years since at the Tippecanoe battle ground Methodist 
Camp Meeting, I heard a "holiness" teacher say. 
"When Christ comes upon a man who has attained 
unto sinless perfection, the Lord Himself is in a box 
as to what to further do for him." And I do not 
doubt it. That is to say, I don't doubt He would be 
surprised could he ever see that individual. And yet, 
beloved that is no sort of an excuse for our sitting 
down to compromise with our sins; for our saying 
"Since I am not perfect, I will cease the endeavor ; for 
our affirming. If this is not within my present reach 
it is not within God's requirement." "Therefore, be 
ye also perfect," is God's call to the battle. And the 
man who is not putting the sins of yesterday under 
his feet today, is giving poor illustration of his saint- 
ship, and will be able to present poor excuse for not 
having won more victories over self and the Ad- 
versary. I have had dreams of a fruitful ministry, be- 
yond present, probably possible attainment; and yet 
you would regard me an indolent if I made the 
failure to come up to the measure of my own best 



190 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

imagination an excuse for settling down to little study, 
less of prayer, and poorer preaching. While I have 
condemned the professions of men because they have 
not made their practices to conform, I say frankly to- 
night, that there is one thing more to be feared by the 
Church of God than the doctrine of our "holiness 
brethren ;" and that is the doctrine of our "unholiness 
brethren." The great danger of the church lies in 
another direction in what has been described as "an 
idle acquiescence in imperfection." 

Oh, to be able to exercise the spirit of the Apostle 
and say always, "Though I have not apprehended, I 
press forward toward the" mark of the prize of 
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." "Prog- 
ress" is the word ; "conquest" is the inscription for 
your banners ; "victory" is a proper battle cry. Perfec- 
tion, and nothing short of it, is the goal of the saint 
of God, toward which he must ever be going on, or 
else be guilty. 

This goal is the Gospel's appeal to the godless. 
When Christians say to the unconverted man, "Come 
with us and we will do thee good" they ought to mean 
what God meant when He called Abraham, saying, "I 
am the Almighty God, walk before me and be thou 
perfect." 

Oh, it is a high life to which sinners are invited; 
it is a Hfe of the most splendid attainments ; it is a 
life of the most magnificent victories ; it is a life of 
the most unspeakable rewards ; it is a life of highest 
holiness ; it is a life of unthinkable happiness ; it is an 
eternal life in Christ Jesus. No man has gone so far 
in sin but God is calling him unto the same ; and 
there is no man here this evening who might not, if 



FAILURE TO PRACTICE ONE'S PREACHING. 191 

he would, at this Christmas season, accept once for 
all. This call is a personal one, and dedicating your- 
self now to God begin that upward march which shall 
end in complete character for you; and in eternal 
friendship with Christ and fellowship with God the 
Father. 

During the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the 
great crowd had gathered to hear Mr. Moody. At 
the close of his address he found a little boy standing 
at his side, and the officer who held his hand said, 
"This child is lost. Couldn't you announce it, and per- 
haps his father or some of his people will come for 
him." No sooner did Mr. Moody lift up the little one 
and make the statement, than a man with blanched face 
and excited eyes, was making his way to the platform. 
Speedily he outstretched his arms, and the crowd 
seeing them cheered and cheered again. And I have 
no doubt but a breathless company of glorified saints 
and angels in heaven, are looking down now upon 
this audience to see how many will fling themselves 
into the Father's arms at this Christmas season, and 
be counted among the saved ones ; the sealed ones ; the 
ones set to be saints. 

Oh, that to-night you might join with Dr. Moule 
in saying: 

Come in, oh come! the door stands open now; 
I knew Thy voice — Lord Jesus, it was Thou; 
The sun has set long since — the storms begin — 
'Tis time for Thee, my Saviour, oh come in! 

Come, even now. But think not here to find 
A lodging, Lord, and converse to Thy mind ; 
The lamp burns low — the hearth is chill and pale, 
Wet through the broken casement pours the gale. 

Yet, welcome, and to-night; this doleful scene 
Is e'en itself my cause to hail Thee in; 



192 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

This dark confusion e'en at once demands 

Thine own bright presence, Lord, and ordering hands. 

I seek no more to alter things, or mend, 
Before the coming of so great a Friend; 
All were at best unseemly — and 'twere ill 
Beyond all else to keep Thee waiting still. 

Then, as Thou art, all holiness and bliss, 
Come in, and see my chamber as it is ; 
I l>id Thee welcome boldly, in the name 
Of Thy great glory and my want and shame. 

Come, not to find, but make, this troubled heart 
A dwelling worthy of Thee as Thou art : 
To chase the gloom, the terror, and the sin. 
Come, all Thyself, yea come. Lord Jesus, in! 



XIII. 

Conservatism: or, Bacft to Qnv Bibles, 

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that 
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, 
and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or 
an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than 
that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 
As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any 
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be 
accursed." Galatians i :6-9. 

IN speaking to the subject of "Christian Science," 
some time since, we employed this same Scripture. 
It need not be imagined, however, its use this evening 
will result in the repetition of anything said on that oc- 
casion. The Word of God is unique in that no man 
is able to exhaust a single sentence of it in one sermon ; 
in fact, it is doubtful if all the thought that ever has, 
or ever can be expended upon a single text, means 
the sounding- of its remotest depths, the exploring of 
its greatest heights. A single sermon, therefore, could 
no more exhaust these words of the Epistle to the 
Galatians, than the taking out of a single pail of water, 
would empty Jacob's well. This Scripture arrays it- 
self not alone against the Cult of Mrs. Eddy, but 
against the opinion of every man who departs from 
the Word of God to propagate a theory that professes 
an improvement upon what was said by "holy men of 
old, who spake as they were moved by the Holy 
Ghost." 

193 



194 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

It matters little whether these apostates from the 
Word of Scripture assume toward it an attitude 
friendly or hostile, the result is the same; and I con- 
fess as much sympathy with the skeptic who says, with 
one of the most famed, "Christ teaches this but I won't 
accept it on His authority," as I do with the man who 
poses as a preacher of the Gospel, but sets aside every 
fundamental of the faith *'once delivered to the 
saints," and assigns in justification of his impious act, 
"I am a constructive critic." 

Dr. Pressense said, of Renan, "He very skilfully 
undermines Christianity while profuse in its praise; 
he buries it in flowers. He comes to the tomb of 
the Saviour not to weep and worship like the women 
of the Gospel, but to stifle with perfumes and spices 
any lingering spark of life in the religion of Jesus. 
He does not deal a blow with a sharp sword; no, he 
embalms. But the result is the same as though he 
made a violent attack." 

Commonlv the peaceful pastoral service and pulpit 
preaching give abundant opportunity to the ebullitions 
of my heart and the action of my mind ; but this past 
week the spirit of polemics has had a prominent place 
in my sentiments. In reading certain articles by Dr. 
George B. Foster, of the Chicago University, put forth 
in defense of his recent proposition that "The auton- 
omy of the believing subject ex-cludes all external 
objective authority, be it church, or state, or Bible, or 
God," and in addition to these, the remarkable and self- 
complacent affirmation of our fellow citizen — Dr. Chaf- 
fee. "As to inspiration, I certainly did not set aside my 
own theory, which is a much broader one than the old 
theory of a miraculous and supernatural inspiration," I 



BACK TO OUR BIBLES. 195 

thought it was time for those of us who still believe in 
the Word, to break the silence, and say tO' our people 
that such prophets of "another Gospel, which is not an- 
other" are few in our evangelical ministry, and there 
is little occasion why the plain, believing people should 
be alarmed lest the active pulpit is turning to the 
"perversion of the Gospel of Christ." While it would 
be easy to take up the few points feebly made, by 
these prophets of the so-called newer faith, such an 
object would scarcely be worthy a whole sermon; and 

1 prefer, rather, to put before you somewhat fully, this 
subject of inspiration, in answer to three questions, 
namely "What is the Scripture?" "How is it In- 
spired?" "What Proof is there that the Canon is 
Closed?" 

WHAT IS THE SCRIPTURE? 

The answer to this question can never be ad- 
equately made by unaided man. If there be a revela- 
tion from heaven, worthy the employment of the term 
"revelation" at all, the Revealer Himself is alone 
familiar vnth its meaning, and His affirmations, and 
His only, are final. 

I make bold, therefore, to say, The Scripture is 
the product of an inspired pen. The Revised Version, 

2 Timothy 3:16, reads, "Every Scripture is inspired of 
God"; while Peter in his second epistle (i 12) writes, 
"Holy men of God, spake as they were moved by the 
Holy Ghost." But God did more than move the men 
who became mouth-pieces of His will ; He moved the 
pen that made reports of these things. Of Moses it 
is said, "Moses wrote all the words of the Lord." 
Jesus declares, "of all the things written in the pro- 



196 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

phets concerning the Son of Man, that they should be 
accomplished." Paul defends himself by saying, "But 
this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they 
call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, be- 
lieving all things which are written in the law and in 
the prophets." Acts 24:14. While of that last book 
of the Bible, now set aside by so many Christian 
skeptics, Christ said, "Blessed is he that readeth, and 
they that hear the words of this -prophecy, and keep 
those things which are written therein ;" "Whatsoever 
things were written aforetime were written for our 
learning, that we through patience and comfort of 
the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15 4. 

There is no conservative man among us who claims 
that the Bible is a complete record of all the things 
said and done by the people to whom it makes refer- 
ence ; or of all the events that transpired in the period 
in which its personal history occurred. But we do 
claim for the record itself, that it was penned by an 
inspiration from God, and is therefore, without flaw 
or fault. 

Dr. A. J. F. Behrends says of this literature, "It is 
prophetic, not photographic. It seizes upon the great 
outstanding facts in which the divine discipline of the 
race, and especially of the chosen people, is most 
clearly manifest, and by which the preparation for the 
advent of Jesus Christ is most signally illustrated. 
The Bible is written in a large way, not in the method 
of minute descriptive and chronological completeness." 
And yet, God willingly stands sponser for every sen- 
tence of Scripture. 

It is the perfect revelation of the Divine zvill 
"Eye hath not seen or ear heard, neither have entered 



BACK TO YOUR BIBLES. 197 

into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre- 
pared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed 
them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth 
all things, yea the deep things of God." ( i Cor. 2 :g- 
10). "By revelation he made known unto me the 
mystery * * which in the other days was not made 
known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto 
us his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." These 
sentences would seem to apply particularly to the sal- 
vation proffered to the Gentiles, but a little further 
reading into the context will show that its purpose was 
also to make all men see "what is the fellowship of the 
mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath 
been hid in God." In other words, there is nothing in 
the good-will of our God, that has not found formal 
expression in what we call the Scriptures. 

Dr. Lorimer has said, "There is no position we oc- 
cupy, no relationship we sustain, no serious issue we 
have to meet, concerning which we may not, if we will, 
obtain the fullest information; neither is there any 
honest doubt, springing from a troubled conscience 
that has not its antidote in the affluent provisions of 
Divine grace. If you would know how to approach 
and honor your Creator ; if you would realize the 
claims of Christ upon your faith and love ; if you 
would learn how to fulfill your obligations as parent, 
child, citizen, or friend and if you would understand 
how to live and die triumphantly, you have but to con- 
sult the sacred volume, whose pages glow with sim- 
plest wisdom and with safest counsels." 

That is what David meant when he said, "Thou 
through thy commandments hast made me wiser than 
mine enemies," * * * "j ^^ye more understanding 



198 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

than all my teachers ; for thy testimonies are my 
meditation. Through thy precepts I get understand- 
ing." * * * "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and 
a light unto my path." * * * "Thy testimonies 
have I taken as a heritage forever ; for they are the re- 
joicing of my heart." * * * "Xhe entrance of thy 
words giveth light." 

The Scripture also provides an ideal prescription 
for each of man's needs. In this very fact their in- 
spiration is proven. The charge that Jesus lodged 
against the free-thinkers of His time, — the Sad- 
ducees — was this, "Ye do err not knowing the Scrip- 
tures." The plain inference being, a knowledge of 
the Word would save you from the false philosophies 
of this life, and false faith touching the life to come. 
That is a significant affirmation of the Master, "Now 
ye are clean through the word that was spoken unto 
you." That is a wonderful declaration, "The words 
that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." 
That is a mighty admission of the Apostle Peter, and 
one that the surging multitudes will yet make, "Lord 
to whom can we go, thou alone hast the words of eter- 
nal life." 

The Bible is not set forth as a text book on biology ; 
it lays no claim to being the chronology of the ages ; 
it does not assume to speak on the details of science; 
it is certainly not a book of pure mathematics ; but it 
is the great text book on human life. It does assume 
to set forth a perfect philosophy therein, including not 
only the interests of time but sweeps also into its 
embrace those of eternity. When Jesus said to his 
auditors, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think 
ye have eternal life, " He was not taunting them, but 



BACK TO YOUR BIBLES. 199 

turning their attention rather to the only guide book 
sent down from God out of heaven, that men, reading 
it, might keep their bearings here, and find their way 
there. As John said of his first epistle, so it might be 
affirmed of the sixty-six books of this volume. "These 
things are written that ye might know that ye have 
eternal life, and that ye might believe on the Son of 
God." 

How rich are its promises ; how gracious its provi- 
sions; how perfectly they meet every demand of this 
present life, as surely as they promise all happiness 
for the life that is to come." You remember that 
Lew Wallace in "The Prince of India" makes Sol- 
omon's tomb a repository of such treasures that though 
this strange character wanders over the earth for hun- 
dreds and hundreds of years, he travels always like a 
king, and feels never any fear of want, since, when he 
needs to do so, he can return to this treasure house, 
and draw therefrom riches that astonish the world, 
and yet that scarcely reduce his store. Aye, these 
Scriptures are as Solomon's tomb to the souls of men. 
Draw on them as you will, as often as you can, be as 
prodigal of their provisions of grace as the child of 
God has a right, and yet, know no fear! Their 
resources are infinite, they will never fail ! 

HOW IS SCRIPTURE INSPIRED? 

By the Holy Spirit of God. "Holy men spake as 
they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Pet. 1:21). 
"We speak not in the words which man's wisdom 
teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth." (2 Cor. 
2:13). When the time comes that a man calls into 
question this theory of inspiration, the time is on when 
he ought to admit that the one he proposes is his 



200 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

"own"; for, as Dr. D. W. Faunce says, "If the book 
is not supernaturally inspired, we must undertake to 
tread this labyrinth, pitied by others, and most of all 
pitying ourselves in our doubtful work. It will not be 
wise to assert very strongly any truth of religion; 
since the only basis is our own fallibility." 

I never hear a man speaking of his theory of in- 
piration, without knowing perfectly well that if he fol- 
lows it far it will break down at the point of self-con- 
tradition, for where is the man who believes and 
teaches to-day just what he taught ten years ago; and 
what sort of a standard of truth can you have when it 
depends upon that human knowledge touching which 
the Apostle wrote, "It passeth away?" 

The editor of a Baptist paper said a while ago, 
"I find it easier to beUeve in two Harper's than in two 
Isaiahs." The style of Isaiah 40 may be quite different 
from the style of Isaiah 39, but the assertions of Har- 
per are contrary in their parts ; in one of his essays he 
says, "that the beginning of Genesis is probably his- 
tory ;" in another place he says, "these chapters con- 
tain neither history nor geography ;" in one place he 
says "the writer of these chapters takes the stories 
common to all ancient nations ;" and in another place, 
"the book is a compilation from written sources, not 
one of which goes back to the days of Solomon." And 
the editor remarks, "Our higher critics do not agree 
with each other, but that is no reason why one of them 
should get into a shindy with himself." The fact is, 
if I am able to understand the meaning of human 
speech, there is not one of them who can keep out of 
a shindy with himself, when once he has departed from 
that theory of inspiration which Peter wrote into his 



BACK TO OUR BIBLES. 201 

epistles, which Paul affirmed to the Corinthians, and 
which Christ Himself adopted in His use of the Old 
Testament Scriptures. 

Men were made the mediums of the Divine mind. 
God said to Moses, "Go, I will be with thy mouth 
and teach thee what thou shalt say." (Ex. 4:12). 
Touching the hirth and naming of Jesus Christ, it is 
written, *'Now all this was done that it might be ful- 
filled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet." 
Even Jesus Himself said, 'T have not spoken of my- 
self, but the Father, which sent me. He gave me com- 
mandment what I should say, and what I should 
speak." He meant, He must have meant, "in the flesh 
of my manhood, I don't pose as author of the Word, 
but as a medium of the Divine mind." What effront- 
ery, then, for man or woman of this day, to claim to be 
the author of "Revelation!" Even after Jesus had 
ascended up on High, and from His place at the right 
hand of the Father, was ready to finish the revelation 
contained in this Book, His opening sentence was, 
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto 
Him to show unto His servants things which must 
shortly come to pass." (Rev. 1:1). 

Ah, it was a great honor that was put upon men 
that they should have been made such mediums ! How 
gladly would the angels from heaven have come on this 
embassy ; but how little part in it they were privileged ! 
Almost every false religion in the world has put forth 
the claim of angelic visitation. But this Holy Word 
comes to us boldly announcing that God was pleased 
to make man the medium of its expression. That ap- 
peals to me as a new evidence of its inspiration. The 
atmosphere about us which is capable of receiving 



202 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

and reflecting light, of taking on and giving off 
warmth, is the sun's medium in reaching the bodies of 
men. How wise the Divine appointments of making 
the very flesh in which we dwell, with which we are 
familiar, the medium through which we receive our 
light from above, and feel the warmth of the beating 
heart of God. 

But though this Scripture is given by the Holy 
Spirit, and man is made the medium of His communi- 
cation, God, and God) alone, is its author. The text al- 
ready quoted would put that past dispute. As the 
Son affirmed of Himself that He only spake what the 
Father gave Him, so all lesser prophets, who are true, 
tell the same. From Moses to John there is not a man 
of them that sets up any claim of originality, either for 
the thought or the language, contributed to make up 
the Word. I know that we have come upon a time 
when verbal inspiration is repudiated by possibly the 
majority of our best educators ; a day when Dr. 
Broadus was almost alone among the great Greek 
scholars in his defense of this aforetime theory; a 
day when Gordon didn't find a friend in every Boston 
Evangel when he preached this view of inspiration ; a 
day when Spurgeon proclaimed this, not in common 
with, all of his brethren, but in combat of the theories 
of some of them. 

Ever since the Seminary days, I have read, with 
avidity, the contributions to this subject; I have 
watched for some light upon it ; and, before God, I 
affirm that I am not only willing but want to walk 
in every light that comes from above; and yet, I am 
more firmly convinced, this hour, than I have ever 
been in the twenty years of my public ministry, that 



BACK TO OUR BIBLES. 203 

departure from this theory of inspiration — "God the 
author of thought, and speech, in Sacred Scripture" — 
has opened the sluice gates of skepticism. It is a little 
step, I grant you, to say that ''God is the inspirer of 
the thought, but not of the words of Scripture." But, 
having taken that position it is not far to the next, — 
namely, that "the Writers of Scripture were suffered to 
fall into no error or mistake in things affecting re- 
ligious doctrine, but they take their own way of re- 
cording facts even though some of the facts were not 
historically correct" ; then how far is it from this posi- 
tion to another that is popular to-day, — namely, that 
"the main events of the Word are inspired, but that is 
all that can be claimed." It is a strange thing; nay, 
rather, it is a significant thing, that every man who 
gets on this down-grade regarding what God has said 
about His own Word, takes one of two positions,— 
namely, that of claiming a continuous inspiration, 
which makes prophets, of a kindred order with Paul, 
of the present-day preachers, thereby identifying in- 
spiration with illumination; or else its utter repudia- 
tion, — a theory to be regarded obsolete. A while ago 
three of the noblest of the Methodists inquired into the 
occasion of decline in that hitherto progressive denom- 
ination, and assigned, among other reasons for its 
back-sliding, this : "Critics have attacked the Bible, 
denying its supernatural character and Divine authori- 
ty," and this has taken "the power out of preaching." 
"The Bible loses its Divine authority, sin loses its 
sting, the law loses its sanction, and God's government 
is reduced to a few rules concerning aesthetics." 

And yet, beloved, the signs are not unhealthy ! A 
good share of the men who are making it their busi- 



204 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

ness thus to undermine the Old Book, are learning 
the meaning of this morning's text, ''If any man 
preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have 
received, let him be accursed," and the devout people 
of the churches, who have handled the Word of Life, 
are executing the judgment by silently setting the 
mighty majority of them aside. I believe that the 
entire devouter portion of the church of God, is 
headed to-day, Scriptureward ; I believe that men, sub- 
mitting themselves to the teachings of the Holy 
Spirit, whose office work it is to illuminate this Word, 
will come more and more to the conviction that "every 
Scripture is God-inspired," in thought and in speech, 
in sentiment and expression. The very unity of the 
Book itself will drive logical minds back to that 
opinion. 

Arthur T. Pierson says, "You cannot look on that 
cathedral at Milan, whose first stone was laid March 
15, 1386, and which, after these five centuries, is yet 
incomplete, without instinctively knowing that it must 
have been the product of one mind, however many 
workmen may have helped to rear its marble walls and 
pinnacles. Its unity of design cannot be the result of 
accident." No, the workmen were not the architects. 
Every stone was shaped and polished to fit its place in 
the plan. And so of the Bible — that cathedral of the 
ages ! Whoever the workmen were, the Architect was 
God I Finally : 

WHAT PROOF THAT THE CANON IS CLOSED? 

In history; in human experience; in the Holy 
Word. 

In history. The Bible has been a competitor for 
centuries on centuries, not alone against the great 



BACK TO OUR BIBLES. 205 

books of the East, but against those, who, in our day, 
have styled themselves inspired. Yet, I make bold to 
say that the most of its competitors are dead and 
buried, and if the past prognosticates anything for 
those to come, a like destiny awaits the present genera- 
tion of pseudo-prophets. 

I said a while ago that there was not a man who 
had left the theory that "the Word was given to us 
directly from God, and was supernatural in its inspira- 
tion," who could keep out of a shindy with himself, 
and I want to give you another illustration of it. Dr. 
R. F. Horton is a brilliant writer, and an eloquent 
speaker. In 1893 he was invited to deliver the Yale 
lectures on "Preaching." In the course of the series 
this higher critic took occasion to say two things, and 
I want to see you reconcile them. The first, — "All the 
great poets from Homer and Hesiod down to Brown- 
ing and Walt Whitman utter, in the stress of their 
poetic afflatus, truths and feelings which we can only 
explain by attributing them to God Himself. * * * 
Goethe as a man seems more Hellenic than Christian, 
but Goethe as a poet said things which we can only 
gratefully acknowledge came from God." Three days 
after he was speaking to the same class on "The 
Preacher's Personality" and urging the necessity of 
purity of life, in order to receive a word from God; 
and this is what he said, "I have certainly spoken in 
vain unless you are prepared to admit that while God 
may undoubtedly speak to men in many ways, and 
without any human intervention at all. He will not, 
even if He could, use evil men to be the ministers of 
His Word." Is it possible that Dr. Horton had not 
read Goethe's works ; is it conceivable that this higher 



206 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

critic was not familiar with Goethe's manner of life; 
and even if you admit that God makes a revelation to 
good men, but never gave anything to Goethe, where 
is the man through whom He has spoken anything 
that can be regarded a needful addenda to the Scrip- 
tures, — compiled now almost two thousand years ago ? 
Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" comes as near being 
worthy to be bound between the same lids with Moses 
and the prophets and the Apostles, as anything ever 
written ; and yet, if any man dare do it, that good Bap- 
tist would turn in his grave to cry out against the 
impiety, and speak afresh, what he so eloquently de- 
clared when living, that all that he had written were, 
at the best, but feeble illustrations of the more illumin- 
ating truths of God's Word. 

I, for one, have never feared false Christs', know- 
ing full well that when their character came into 
competition with that of Jesus of Nazareth, they would 
there meet their shame. I tell you this evening that 
I fear nothing- from the present prattle about con- 
tinuous inspiration. When some man has given us a 
Decalogue that out-ranks that written in Exodus ; a 
Book of Psalms that shall render obsolete David's ; a 
Gospel that shall compare favorably with John's, I 
will begin to believe in ''present-day inspiration." But 
you will believe me when I say, I expect to die without 
being granted that privilege. 

Experience argues that the Canon is closed; that 
two thousand years ago John wrote the last word. 
Men have gone through every form of feeling they 
will ever know, and this Book has met them at every 
point of possible human experience, and proves itself 
so adequate that Christians feel the uselessness of 
further revelation. 



BACK TO OUR BIBLES, 207 

The hydrographic office of the United States 
prepares and puts into the hands of sea pilots what is 
called a chart, as often as once a month. This chart 
prophesies the weather conditions, describes the 
various currents, locates the danger points, and sug- 
gests the possible storm tracks, etc.. etc. Pilots have 
found it wonderfully perfect; and yet, at times, even 
this is not sufficient to save them from wreck. But 
here is a chart to which no other features need b^ 
added ! That men on the high seas of life have failed, 
comes solely from the consequence of not ha\-ing 
studied it, and conformed their course according to 
its clean Hne? 

And if the past has proven that this Book meets 
every demand of life, from the hour when the first cry 
is heard in the natal chamber, to the day when you 
shall be in the presence of the eternal Glory, what 
need of a Post Script ? 

God affirms! 'T testify unto every man that 
heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book, if any 
man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto 
him the plagues that are written in this book/* 

Dr. Behrends, in the little volume before referred 
to, says, "It is represented as the fixed and immovable 
center of Divine truth, 'forever settled in heaven 
It provides the basis of an infallible certainty; just 
as the sun, by its invisible, but constant and efficient, 
onorgy, secures the stability of the planetary system. 
Such a basis there must be somewhere, if our religious 
convictions and hopes are to be anything more than 
the creations of individual and diseased fancy ; and it 
would seem as if we must choose between an infallible 
consciousness, an infallible church, and an infallible 



208 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

book. The first gives us rationalism or mysticism, in 
which every man is regarded as either hopelessly 
ignorant, or virtually omniscient; the second gives us 
traditionalism or Romanism, in which we believe, upon 
the authority of the church, and of its constituted offi- 
cers, whose duty it is to define the faith, and to save 
our souls ; the third is the platform of evangelical 
Protestantism, which exalts the Bible above the in- 
dividual and the church, confessing it to be the sole 
and sufficient authority for man's religious faith and 
conduct." "To the law and to the testimony; if they 
speak not according to this word it is because there is 
no light in them." 



XIV. 

DoGmatism: or, H DMea for positive 
preacblng* 

"And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, 
the people were astonished at His doctrine. For He taught 
them as One having authority ; and not as the Scribes." Mat- 
thew 7 :28-29. 

I SHOULD feel that this series of sermons on Vag- 
aries and Verities was not complete without the 
presentation of this evening's subject : ^'Dogmatism or 
a Plea for Positive Preaching." There is a grave ques- 
tion associated with every schism from the truth, name- 
ly, — the question of responsibility. In a sense, every 
man is, and will be held, responsible for the faith which 
is in him ; but with equal certainty, men set of God to 
minister in His Word, will be called to account for 
the opinions that obTtain with the people to whom they 
have preached by tongue or pen. 

The first thing that impresses a reader of this 
evening's text is the contrast between the teaching of 
Jesus and that of the Scribes, — the former being with 
authority; while the latter were uttering uncertain 
sounds. The result, in each instance, was exactly what 
ought to be expected from the natural law in the 
spiritual world. The followers of the Scribes were 
traditionalists and skeptics ; while the attentive audi- 
tors of Jesus became established believers. It is vain 
for our modern ministry to expect to see changed the 
sure law "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also 

209 



210 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

reap." The so-called liberal thinking of this hour is 
largely attributable to the uncertain theology of the 
present pulpit ; and if we are not to drift utterly from 
the faith of the fathers, including prophets and apos- 
tles, and even the Son of Man himself, it is time we 
returned to His methods of teaching. The interroga- 
tion point has played too conspicuous a part in the 
pulpit. The result — an interrogation point in every 
pew. Dogmatism has been too long repudiated, and 
the very term too much maligned. Joseph Parker says 
of this term, "dogmatism,'' 'Tt is an innocent word. 
Turn it into Greek, turn it into Latin, beat it into 
English, it is still an honest, a pure word, in itself ; but 
it has been made such bad use of that I do not wonder 
that people avoid it. I do not suppose that you would 
be very fond of using a rope in which somebody has 
been hung. This word dogmatic is, therefore, a word 
which has, in some relations, a bad or an unwelcome 
meaning. * "^ * So is the word Catholic a simple 
and beautiful word, but it has been tied up in such 
wrong relations that, like a rope which has hanged 
somebody, we feel as if it might hang us too if we 
did not take care of it. So have words been debased, 
prostituted, defiled; so that I do not wonder at many 
persons looking askance upon those words, and avoid- 
ing dogmatic teaching." 

But it is not an unusual experience, after having 
misunderstood, misrepresented, and rejected a friend, 
to be compelled, — seeing your need of him, — to call 
for him again ; and I believe the revival of interest in 
the "doctrine" of Jesus will more and more make that 
demand upon the church and her ministry. What 
else is the meaning of this text? From time im- 



A PLEA FOR POSITIVE PREACHING. 211 

memorial Jesus of Nazareth has been held before the 
minister as the solitary model; if that be so we must 
study to see what was the matter, manner and mes- 
sage of this matchless Son of God. 
According to our text: 

THE MATTER WAS DOCTRINAL. 

He discussed the fundamentals. The sermon on 
the Mount illustrates this statement. The beatitudes 
are big with the greater doctrines of the Word; His 
address to the saints, calling them "the salt of the 
earth and the light of the world" is nothing else than 
a discourse on the province of the church. The same 
fifth chapter introduces "the Kingdom of Heaven;" 
discusses a number of subjects involved in the Ten 
Commandments of the Old Testament ; while the sixth, 
clearly shows the difference between the merely pro- 
fessional saint and the approved soul. If one gives 
himself to a wider research through the words of Jesus 
he will discover that He taught the doctrine of mono- 
theism ; (John 4:24); that He spake concerning the 
fallen condition of man (Luke 19:10) ; while the way 
of salvation was never more clearly expressed than 
by His lips (John 3:16). The doctrine of grace in 
regeneration He exploited in the first verses of the 
third chapter of John ; Repentance and Faith were the 
popular themes in His addresses. (Mark i :i5 ; John 
8:30.) This same Jesus who prescribed our ordi- 
nances — baptism and communion — determined the 
purpose of our Christian Sabbath (Mark 2 :2'/) ; settled 
forever the relation of the church and civil government 
(Matt. 22:21); while speaking very fully of judg- 
ment over-past and judgments to come. If one think 
that these sayings of Jesus, which entered so con- 



212 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

spicuously into the creeds of a century ago, are now 
giving place to the greater subjects of "the Father," 
"the Spirit," "the Kingdom," "the Church," etc., be it 
understood that Jesus discussed these also, every one. 
There are those who have been saying that doctrine 
had no place in the reputed words of Jesus ; that Paul, 
Peter, James and John, by their epistles, gave it first 
prominence. But surely such have read the four Gos- 
pels poorly. The single discourse, to the lone auditor 
Nicodemus, involves the most fundamental doctrines 
of our religion ; and the minister who proposes to 
preach, but declares his purpose to give doctrine no 
place in the pulpit, parts company with Model and 
Master. 

Christ formulated no theological system. That 
statement may sound strangely to the Seminary gradu- 
ate. When one remembers the important place as- 
signed to systematic theology in the student days ; the 
stress of study, the strain of memory, to commit first 
and keep in order afterward the good old Doctor's ar- 
rangement of doctrine, he might expect to see a model 
of this method in the Master's teaching. But, as an- 
other has said, "No amount of research will bring to 
light in the Gospels anything corresponding to the 
Institutes of Calvin or the Lectures of Leonard 
Wood." 

I recall an incident once narrated in Dr. Broadus' 
class in homilectics : A man who must have been some 
fifty years of age, had submitted to the Doctor a ser- 
mon for criticism. The great teacher had somewhat 
torn it to pieces, and had severely condemned this 
plain preacher's plan, as at once too extensive for a 
single discourse, and too entirely devoted to doctrine. 



A PLEA FOR POSITIVE PREACHING. 213 

When the unlettered fellow replied to what Dr. Broad- 
us had said, he uttered this remark : "You should 
have seen my first sermon ! It had seventeen heads ; 
began with the fall of man, and finished with the final 
judgment." Jesus did not so present truth! With 
Him, doctrine and practice were so essentially one, 
being only the root and branches of the same trees, 
that He never thought to separate them; instead. He 
set them out in God's world to bring forth their fruit, 
knowing, as James afterward taught, that to separate 
them would be to prepare them for burial. 

Dr. Gordon, in an address delivered at Plymouth, 
on Forefathers' Day, said : ''It is the fashion nowa- 
days to admire the Puritan and decry Puritanism. 
But it was the doctrine that made the man, and not 
the man the doctrine. Iron in the thinker's brain 
is just as needful, if he is to grasp and master the 
dark problems of the universe, as iron in the black- 
smith's blood is needful if he is to weld and mould the 
iron bar v/hich he holds in his hand. And our Puri- 
tan fathers had the iron from the hills of eternal truth 
so wrought into their blood that they have sent down 
a current of stalwart convictions which a score of gen- 
erations have not outgrown. May this be the lesson 
which we gain from our visit to this New England 
shrine to-day — ^that fidelity to God is the surest way of 
fidelity to man. The truest humanity is that which is 
born of the truest divinity. And therefore, if we would 
realize the prayer of George Fox, the Quaker — of 
being 'baptized into a sense of all conditions' — let us 
know that we must be baptized into God's truth as well 
as into God's love." 

It is reputed of the Nautilus that he lives near the 



214 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

mouth of his shell and is constantly building additional 
rooms of the purest mother of pearl ; and yet, in his 
new creations he never loses his connection with his 
foundation work. If this is so, he ought to stand as 
a good illustration of the Christian life which begins 
its existence by apprehending some of the essential 
doctrines of the Word of God ; but builds on and on, 
by the good works of a regenerate heart ; and so com- 
bines these two in a single life that they cannot be 
separated the one from the other. Hence the words 
of James : ''Show me thy faith apart from thy works, 
and I, by my works, will show thee my faith." 

To speak of a second characteristic of Jesus' 
preaching, the text warrants our saying — 

THE MANNER WAS DOGMATIC. 

He did not fear to aiiirm. 'T say unto you" was 
His favorite introduction, when about to declare doc- 
trines. The most that Moses would say was : 'Thus 
saith the Lord." Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and 
others declared their doctrines to come from the same 
source ; but Jesus was separate in this, that He said, 
'T say unto you." He never sets up a series of opin- 
ions and then tells His followers to take their choice. 
He never announces diametrical theories to admit that 
He knows not which horn of the dilemma to select. 
He asserts Himself! As Hugh Price Hughes said: 
"He no more labored to prove T am the Light of the 
world' than the sun labors to prove that it is the light 
of the physical world." It was "Ye have heard that 
it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and 
hate thy enemy. But / say unto yon, 'Love your ene- 
mies ; bless them that curse you. Do good to them 
that hate you ; and pray for them which despitefully 



A PLEA FOR POSITIVE PREACHING. 215 

use you and persecute you, that ye may be the chil- 
dren of your Father which is in heaven." When Peter 
wanted to know how oft he should forgive his offend- 
ing brother, Jesus answered : "I say * * * until 
seventy times seven," etc. There could be no Con- 
gress of Religions with Jesus Christ in the midst. His 
language is not comparative, it is absolute; and His 
claims are superlative. There is a sense in which the 
ministry must imitate Him in this also. Not that the 
plain, uninspired preacher is a sufficient source of 
wisdom ; not that the disciple of Christ is to presume 
on exercising the Divine One's prerogatives. But his 
appeal to "thus saith the Lord" should bring an end 
to controversy. R. F. Horton says: 'The wise men 
of the East came to his cradle; and the wise men 
of the West started from His Cross." And it was 
the Hfe lived between these memorials; it was the 
truth taught by the child of the first and the martyr 
of the last, that makes an end to controversy. Not 
by declaring dogmatically; but by teaching divinely, 
''Never Man spake like this Man." 

He despised established opinions. What the 
Scribes said, settled nothing with Him. The 
Pharisees opinion was not even consulted. With a 
few sentences. He overturned all their teachings 
touching God, showing that His love was not Hmit- 
ed to Israel, but larger than a lost world. Their ideas 
of giving also, He held to ridicule; and their tradi- 
tions ; touching the Sabbath, He showed to be at once 
unwarranted by the Word, and unwise. All they had 
said touching the Kingdom to come, He repudiated. 
One cannot read The Christ without consenting with 
Henry Van Dyke: "He did not make a long catena 



216 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

of quotations from learned sources; He was not a 
commentator on truths already revealed; He was a 
revealer of new truth, His teaching was not the ex- 
position, it was the text; He gave out His doctrine 
from the depths of His own consciousness as a flower 
breaths perfume, fresh, pure original and convinc- 
ing." And it made no sort of difference to Him 
whether men received or raged. Here, surely, is a 
lesson much needed by modern ministers, and 
equally essential to the success of present-day Chris- 
tianity. The times upon which we have fallen know 
too many so-called teachers and supposed leaders of 
thought, who ask after the public taste with greater 
solicitude than after truth. The result is new creeds 
that adapt the Scriptures, and adopt society. It is 
a season when heroism in the realm of the Church 
has its opportunity; a day when one's heart can bleed 
for believing and teaching the Biole, as two centuries 
ago, one's body burned for the same. But the pro- 
duct — truth preached — is worth the price of personal 
sacrifice. 

James Russell Lowell, in that marvelous poem, 
"The Present Crisis," did more than discuss the sub- 
ject to which he specially directed thought, when he 
wrote : 

"Then to side with truth is noble when we share her wretched 

crust, 
E're her cause bring fame and profit and 'tis prosperous to 

be just. 
Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands 

aside, 
Doubting in his abject spirit, till his Lord is crucified, 
And the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied. 
Count me o'er earth's chosen heroes; they were souls that 

stood alone, 
While the men they agonized for, hurled the contumelious 

stone ; 



A PLEA FOR POSITIVE PREACHING. 217 

Stood serene, and down the future saw the golden beam 

incline 
To the side of perfect justice, mastered by their faith divine, 
By one man's plain truth to manhood and to God's supreme 

design," 

''It is written" was His one appeal. When He 
was tempted of the Devil, He answered, 'It is writ- 
ten;" when men objected to His miracles He an- 
swered: '"It is written;" when accused of blasphem.y, 
He answered, ''It is written;" when betrayed by 
Judas, He answered: "It is written;" when raised 
from the dead. He affirmed: "It is written." When 
He defined God; when He exploited sin; when He 
declared the way of salvation, He went back to the 
Old Testament for His defense, saying: 'Tt is writ- 
ten." M, Edmund Scherer, tho' a rationalist, was 
keen enough to see and to say: "Religions that 
have vital force and influence are positive religions; 
that is religions which have a Church, and particular 
rites and dogmas. What are these dogmas? Taken 
in their intimate meaning, they are the solutions of 
the great problems which have ever disquieted the 
mind of man — the origin of the world, and of evil: 
the expiation"; the future of humanity. * * * It 
is impossible for a positive religion to have any other 
origin than a revelation." It was upon that revela- 
tion that Jesus rested everything. He introduced, 
without apology, proofs from the Word. Who then 
shall depart from His example, and yet continue to 
preach? It is in vain to accept the conclusions of 
men who call the inspiration of the Scriptures into 
question, and yet attempt to go on in Christ's name. 
It is worse than unwisdom, it is wickedness, to com- 
promise with every critic, and call the result Christ- 



218 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

like. The author of "The Argument for Christian- 
ity'' quotes the speaker who said, ''England has so 
fed upon the pap of compromise as to be unable any 
longer to conceive a muscular resolution." And 
adds, "It may so fall out that the disciples of our 
Lord, in their desire to avoid contention, and in their 
good natured tolerance of deadly heresies, may be- 
come traffickers and bargainers in holy things, and 
soon cease to have sufificient iron in their conscience 
to vigorously resist the encroachments of even an 
undisguised enemy." 

Beloved, the time has come when pastors and 
churches must make choice, either returning to ''thus 
saith the Lord" on the one side, and so instruct their 
people that they will stand, "not being carried about 
with every wind of doctrine;" or else, dispensing with 
"sound doctrine," go on making their contributions 
to the Cults of Theosophy, Spiritualism, Christian 
Science, Millennial-Dawnism, and the Lord, only, 
knows what more — a contribution to the accumulat- 
ing forces of the coming anti-Christ. 

Going back to our text again, let us see the last 
truth, touching the teaching of Jesus, to which we 
now call attention. 

THE MESSAGE WAS DICTATORIAL. 

Commands characterised His preaching. His 
calls to service were expressed in the single word 
"Come;" and His commission required fewer letters 
— "Go." These words are no less potent now! The 
preacher, appealing to the authority of the New 
Testament report of the Master's language, may 
properly employ them. The Centurion who besought 
Jesus for his servant's health, seems to have under- 



A PLEA FOR POSITIVE PREACHING. 219 

stood the Divine authority of the Son of Man; for, 
when Jesus said, ''I will come and heal him," the 
Centurion answered and said "Lord I am not worthy 
that thou shouldst com.e under my roof; but speak 
the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For 
I am a man under authority, and say to this man: 
Go, and he goeth; and to another: Come, and he 
Cometh; and to my servant: Do this — and he doeth 
it." In that speech he conceded Christ's right to 
command. It is a concession that must be made by 
the church though it send her to the ends of the 
earth, put her in the place of persecution, and call 
her to exceeding sacrifice. 

His me^ssage holds men also to strict account. 
He likens the one who hears his sayings and does 
them not, to ''a foolish man which built his house 
upon the sand." To be indifferent to the words of 
Jesus, or to resist their authority, is to fall into judg- 
ment; and the judgment is not so much that of the 
Judge as it is the judgment of spoken truth. You 
remember Jesus' statement: "If any man hear my 
words, and beHeve not, I judge him not: for I came 
not to judge the world, but to save the world. He 
that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath 
one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, 
the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 
12:47-48). 

And the reason that Christ assigned for this state- 
ment gives occasion for our last remark touching 
the dictatorial language of Christ's message. 

He lays claim to Divine authority. On one oc- 
casion He said: "I am the Truth;" and again, as if 
to impress people with the fact that He was one with 



220 VAGARIES AND VERITIES. 

the Father, He said: ''I have not spoken of myself; 
but the Father which sent me, He gave me a com- 
mandment, what I should say, and what I should 
speak. And I know that his commandment is life 
everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as 
the Father said unto me, so I speak." (John 12 :49-5o). 

It is said that there is a cartoon designed for the 
French Pantheon, called the "Staircase of Voltaire." 
The representation assigns Voltaire a place at the 
top of this staircase, while the many philosophers of 
the age are set forth as either ascending to his pres- 
ence, or descending therefrom. The purpose of the 
cartoon seems to be to present the fact that Voltaire 
was the great teacher of his age; and that only as 
men went to him to have their opinions corrected, 
their minds filled with instruction, were they fitted 
to descend into the midst of the masses and teach 
what they had thus learned. It seems little short of 
sacrilege to give to this bigoted unbeliever such ex- 
alted position, and, even by suggestion, to set him 
up as the teacher of teachers. That position be- 
longs not even to the noblest man; it is the eminence 
assigned of God to His Son Jesus Christ; and "be- 
side Him there is none else." 

Certain sects of this hour give themselves much 
to the discussion of the sources of authority: some 
saying that we must attend to the voices of the "uni- 
versal Christian consciousness" — whatever that may 
mean; a multitude declare that we must listen to 
what "the Church" has to say in the formulating of 
her creeds, and in the expression of her opinions. 
But when I look into my Bible I find that God ex- 
pects us to give audience to only one voice — "This 



A PLEA FOR POSITIVE PREACHING. 221 

is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased: Hear 
ye Him." And so profoundly am I convinced that 
obedience to this injunction will bring the Christian 
and the Church out of the philosophical fogs that 
have recently clouded the vision of so many, into the 
perfect day of all Bible doctrine, that I can join most 
heartily with the poet in saying: 

Hushed be the noise and the strife of the schools, 

Volume and pamphlet, sermon and speech, 
The lips of the wise and the prattle of fools; 
Let the Son of Man teach! 

Who has the key to the Future but He? 

Who can unravel the knots of the skein? 
We have groaned and have travailed and sought to be free : 
We have travailed in vain. 

Bewildered, dejected, and prone to despair, 

To Him as at first do we turn and beseech : 
"Our ears are all open ! Give heed to our prayer ! 
O Son of Man, teach!" 



